New Zealand

potato/taewa

Year
2007
Production
555 500 tons
Harvested area
24 833 acres
Yield
22.3 tons/acre

Source: FAOSTAT

Decades before British colonization began in the mid-1800s, explorers had introduced potato to New Zealand's Maori people. The new crop, dubbed taewa, proved well adapted to the cool New Zealand climate, and today red- and blue-skinned "Māori potatoes" are recognized local varieties.

In 2007, New Zealand produced 555 000 tons of potatoes from an area of less than 25 000 acres, with average yields of a very high 22.3 tons. The potato is the country's most popular vegetable - fresh market potatoes are harvested all year round and per capita consumption is estimated at about 145 lb a year.

The past decade has seen strong growth in the processing sector (330 000 tons were processed into french fries and crisps in 2006) and in fresh and frozen potato exports, which totalled more than 100 000 tons. The retail and export value of New Zealand's potatoes is put at some US$ 300 million a year.

Further details from Horticulture New Zealand