About NZ - Wine & Agriculture

New Zealand Wine & Agriculture

In the early 1880s new refrigerated ships designed in New Zealand made it possible for our farmers to begin to export dairy products and meat to the United Kingdom and the economy became heavily agriculturally based.

Sheep and cattle graze on the rich farmland thoughout New Zealand, with dairy farming predominate around Hamilton, New Plymouth, and Whangarei n North Island. Deer farming is also popular through out the country for the export market. The are about 60 million sheep and 8 million cattle. Land unsuitable for dairy or sheep is generally used for forestry and New Zealand has some of the worlds largest man made forests of Radiata Pine.

About 1900 the Chinese gooseberry, later renamed the kiwi fruit, was introduced in New Zealand and we are now the world's main producer. Also because we are in the southern hemisphere, we can grow crops for customers in the north when it is their winter. Apples, strawberries, peaches, apricots and oranges are grown for the export trade.

In recent years New Zealand wines have also been exported in ever increasing quantities. The first vine was actually planted in the 1840s, however it is in the last 20 years that our wines 'have come of age'. The long New Zealand autumn plays an important part in ripening the grapes slowly. In the Marlborough region the Sauvignon Blanc grape grows well. While in Gisborne the Chardonnay grape is the favoured variety. White grapes are most common, however Cabernet Sauvignon is established in Hawke's Bay and Pinot Noir north of Wellington.

Agricultural products account for over 30% of our export revenues. 15% of the land is under permanent cultivation.

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