New Zealand produces abundant dairy, honey, and kiwifruit, but sends most overseas, with 95% of dairy and kiwifruit exported. This export focus boosts earnings but ties local prices to international markets. A recent RNZ series examines these breakfast staples through a global lens.
New Zealand's breakfast table relies on staples like dairy, honey, and kiwifruit, yet the country exports the vast majority of its production. According to DairyNZ, 4.7 million dairy cows graze 1.7 million hectares of farmland, but only 235,000 effectively supply milk for domestic use, such as with Weet-Bix. The nation produces enough milk for 90 million people to consume 2.5 daily dairy servings. In 2025, dairy exports reached $24 billion, a 54% rise from $16 billion five years prior, with 95% of output shipped abroad.
China leads as the top buyer, spending $8 billion last year—up from $13.5 million in 1990—and accounting for about one-third of total dairy exports. Indonesia followed with $1.2 billion, while Saudi Arabia purchased $1.1 billion. This trade influences local prices; in June, the cheapest 500g block of butter cost $8.60, and one semi-soft variety reached $18.29, prompting consumer frustration. Butter exports alone generated $800 million in 2025, a 143% increase from $332 million in 2020, with the United States as the largest market, where retailers like Walmart, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Costco sell it as grass-fed.
Honey production has fluctuated due to a mānuka goldrush that increased beehives to 900,000, leading to stockpiles as output doubled exports between 2018 and 2022. By 2025, 72% of honey is exported, up from less than 40% in 2020, leaving 28% for local consumption. The number of registered beehives has since dropped to 500,000. Export markets shifted, with the US overtaking China ($58 million in 2025, down from $95 million in 2020) as the top buyer; the UK now ranks second. Bad weather has impacted 2026 harvests.
Kiwifruit, originally from China and introduced to New Zealand in 1904, was renamed in 1959 by Turners & Growers—a move dubbed a marketing genius by Time magazine. The country is the world's largest exporter, shipping 95% of its crop. In 2025, a Chinese grower was ordered to destroy 260 hectares of unlicensed yellow SunGold kiwifruit and pay Zespri $1.8 million. For the 2024/2025 season, 121.8 million trays of SunGold were sold, compared to 58.4 million green and 1.5 million RubyRed. Exports earned $4.5 billion over the past five years, a 66% increase, totaling $37 billion since 1991. Major markets include Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, and the US. Domestically, 1kg bags cost $3.72 in July last year.
This RNZ series, revisiting food exports five years after 'Who's Eating NZ,' highlights how global demand shapes Kiwi meals.
