Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy today released the 2015 edition of the Investor’s Guide to the New Zealand Food and Beverage Industry which shows increasing levels of investment in product diversification and branded high value consumer products.

…“New Zealand’s food and beverage sector is in the middle of an exciting period of growth,” says Mr Joyce. “Goods with annual export figures between $100-$200 million include chocolate, UHT milk, biscuits, avocadoes, soft drink and beef jerky, between $200-$300 million include pet food and honey, mussels $312 million, and $455 million in infant formula.

“The report also shows that recent investment by the sector has largely gone into further processing, retail products, and new high value categories.” Mr Joyce says

The report profiles the top 100 New Zealand food and beverage firms, which collectively generate $51 billion in revenue a year.

Mr Guy noted that dairy manufacturers have invested around $1.3 billion in the past four years in new plants that produce UHT milk, infant formula, mozzarella cheese, lactoferin and hydrolysed protein.

“Much of this is retail product, food service and high value ingredients – all of it is adding value to the basic raw material,” Mr Guy says…

Full release available here.

Full report available online.