Pastoral farming and forestry are among the leading sectors in the agriculture industry in New Zealand. However, these are not the only foreign currency earners from agricultural exports, and we have other sectors which may be deemed not influential but also contribute largely to the national GDP. The following are some of these sectors.
Horticulture
New Zealand has over 135,000 hectares of land under horticulture with the leading three horticultural products being Apples, kiwifruits and wine. Other horticultural produce includes stone fruits, peaches, and plums, which are mostly produced for domestic consumption. Kiwifruits are mostly grown in the North Island and the northern part of the Southern Island with the region of Bay of Plenty being area with the most kiwifruits farming activities. With the Kiwifruit having over 2,700 registered farmers in the country, some farmers have shifted to other farm produce such as avocados and fresh vegetables such as onions, potatoes and peas which are also being sought after in the global export market.
Arable Crops
In New Zealand, almost all hay and silage that is consumed by the animals come from the farm where these animals are reared. Most of the arable crops are used to feed the animals during the winter, and some are exported to other countries. For example, wheat is used to make bread and biscuits while the by-products are used to make animal feeds which come along well in the winter.
Aquaculture
New Zealand has one of the most endowed coastlines in the world with plenty of seafood. Since 1960 there has been an upsurge in the number of aquatic farms in New Zealand with some posting a significant quantity of aquatic life exports.
Beekeeping
Honey is another product from New Zealand. With farmers opting for beekeeping, which requires little investment and not so much attention, this sector has great potential, and the country is setting up some infrastructure to support this venture.