WELLINGTON, June 16 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's primary sector is forecast for a bumper year ahead after some challenging past seasons of wet conditions, earthquakes, cyclones, and volatile global commodity prices, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said on Friday.
Guy's comments came as the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) released its latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) at the National Fieldays.
The MPI is forecasting that primary sector exports will grow to 41.6 billion NZ dollars (30 billion U.S. dollars) in the year to June 2018, an increase of 9.1 percent and would be the highest level ever, Guy said.
Strong forestry and dairy prices, combined with increasing production of apples, wine, and kiwifruit have underpinned growth for the year ending June 2017, he said.
"Dairy prices for most products are forecast to remain at or near current levels as global demand and supply rebalance, while high forestry prices will continue to encourage record harvest levels," said the minister.
Horticulture exports are also forecast to continue their strong growth across a range of wine, fruit, and vegetable products. Meat and wool exports are forecast to recover to 8.5 billion NZ dollars (6.15 billion U.S. dollars) following an almost 10 percent fall in export values for the year ending June 2017, said Guy.
New market opportunities and diversification into higher value products such as chilled meat, retail ready products, and nutraceuticals will help to further increase the value of New Zealand's primary sector exports, he said.
"This week's National Fieldays is a great showcase of the range of innovative and world-leading kiwi food producers who are really helping underpin the performance of our economy," Guy said, adding that the government will continue to back the sector and support exporters on-farm.
The government is also supporting exporters in-market by investing 134 million NZ dollars (97 million U.S. dollars) over the next four years to achieve the objectives in Trade Agenda 2030.
"This strategy provides more support to primary sector exporters to diversify, greater resource to government to tackling non-tariff barriers, and aims to have 90 percent of our goods exports covered by free trade agreements by 2030," said Guy.
