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Export Squash

The New Zealand export buttercup squash industry has exhibited a biennial growth pattern, with every second year seeing an increase in plantings and tonnage exported. This peaked in the 1994 season with 96,000 tonnes of product exported, however the average volume is 80,000 tonnes.

Buttercup is currently ranked as the fourth largest horticultural export, and the second largest vegetable export with figures now regularly exceeding $55 million FOB and 90,000 tonnes. Approximately 50% of the crop is picked for export and of that, 95% of whole fruit exports go to Japan. New markets are being investigated in an effort to decrease dependence on the Japanese market.

Over the past few years, considerable effort has been put into improving the quality of the product as it arrives on the market. This has led to a marked improvement for the image of New Zealand product. A market development plan has also been put in place to further investigate the Japanese market and then set in place strategies to increase the value of the product and maintain NZ buttercup/kabocha as the preferred source of supply during the export window of January to May. The increased interest in green-yellow vegetables and their health benefits is leading to a renewed consumer interest in squash.

Research Priorities

The ultimate aim of the R&D programme is to improve product quality. Research priority areas include:

• Internal quality, texture and flesh colour
• Image of freshness/external quality, product colour
• Product safety/integrity, chemical residues
• Taste, harvest maturity and crop management
• Imagery, product attributes
• Yield/profit, crop management

Strengths

The industry is well organised. Its status as a recognised product group under the Horticulture Export Authority Act has enabled it to develop minimum quality standards for export product and license exporters. The NZ Buttercup Squash Council administers the quality management, R&D and market development programmes at the generic level. Council activities are funded by levies on all export product. All growers, packhouses and exporters must register with the council each year. This allows the council to keep growers informed throughout the season.

Opportunities

• To increase overall value of the crop by diversifying the usability of product (i.e investigating alternative markets, processing options)
• To increase market penetration into Japan. Distribution is currently centred around the Kansai region.
• To make improvements in the determination of maturity and storage capabilities of the product, through the R&D programme.

Chair
Doug Whitfield
whitpot@xtra.co.nz

Business Manager
Matthew Spence
matthew.spence@hortnz.co.nz

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