The New Zealand government is investing €1,75 million to increase the competitiveness of the onion industry. Together with input from the sector itself, a six-year program is being set up that will strengthen the (export) position of the New Zealand onion.
Together with trade association Onions New Zealand, the government is committed to transforming the New Zealand onion industry. Under the title Humble to Hero a total of €3,71 million will be invested in the next six years.
Stand out from the rest
"Consumers around the world are increasingly looking for products that are environmentally friendly and sustainably produced," said Damien O'Connor, New Zealand Minister of Agriculture. "With this program we want to distinguish our onions from those in the rest of the world."
Growing top quality onions with a low input, that is the starting point of the six-year program that is being set up. "This means showing that we have a reliable and traceable product," says O'Connor. "But also tackling greenhouse gas emissions in industry, working on smart innovations to reduce waste and deploying sustainable cultivation systems on a larger scale."
Strong export ambition
The Humble to Heroprogram complements the Fit For a Better Worldroadmap with which the New Zealand government invests in, among other things, increasing exports. New Zealand has been an onion exporter since the 60s. Last year, onion exports were worth more than €84 million. The onion industry has the ambition to increase the export value by 23% in the next five years.
More than 5.000 hectares of onions are grown in New Zealand. About 85% of these are destined for export. New Zealand onions are exported all year round with a peak in the months of February to May. The Netherlands is by far the largest buyer, followed by Germany, Indonesia and the United Kingdom. Last spring, export to Europe was fine under a lot of pressure due to logistical problems. As a result, exports more than 16% lower.