The Bay of Plenty is the heart of New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry, and horticulture plays a major role in the region’s economy.
Eighty per cent of New Zealand’s kiwifruit exports are grown in the Bay of Plenty by over 2,000 growers.
Currently 10.3 per cent of the workforce is employed in the agricultural sector in the western Bay of Plenty. Agriculture is the second most important employer in the region after retail trade, with an output of approximately $432 million per annum. Kiwifruit contributes 37.7 per cent of the subregion's total agricultural output with dairy farming comprising 20.8 per cent.
Agricultural industries continue to thrive in the region, which has the second highest number of sunshine hours in the country, a semi-tropical climate, fertile soils and sufficient rainfall.
Kiwifruit is the region's biggest horticultural export with a resurgence occurring due to the development of new varieties such as Zespri Gold and kiwi berries.
