Chinese vegetables fill shelves in NZ

China is fast becoming New Zealand's fruit and vegetable bowl, with last year's imports reaching $63 million, up $12m in a year.

New Zealand imports only two fresh products from China -- $3m worth of garlic (2 million kg) and Ya (white) pears worth $670,000.

But the latest import statistics show another $15m worth of vegetables reached New Zealand frozen or canned; fruit worth almost $30m arrived mostly the same way, plus $13m worth of fruit juice.

Horticulture New Zealand is surprised by the growth in the volume and range of products coming from China and is worried for the future of local growers.

"An increase of $12m in one year is a sharp increase, about 25 per cent, and obviously shows there is more and more low priced product coming out of China," chief executive Peter Silcock said.

"If this trend continues it will undoubtedly impact on New Zealand growers."

The origins of Chinese imports are rarely declared on food labels, as food corporates are not legally required to do so.

Rising imports and food safety scares overseas are fuelling renewed calls for country-of-origin labelling.

Last year Sanitarium reintroduced an Australian-made peanut butter because of "negative perception" about Chinese products, after it began using a Chinese factory to make its nutty spread.

The 2007 import figures from Statistics New Zealand, sourced by Green Party MP Sue Kedgley, show rises in frozen vegetables and berries from China.

There were $6.3m worth of vegetable mixes, of the type used in stir frys. The volume of 5 million kg was 34% up on the year before.

On top of that arrived frozen peas (worth $670,000), sweetcorn ($23,000), spinach, including the New Zealand variety ($233,000), and beans ($300,000). Millions more dollars worth of vegetables arrived in cans.

For instance, New Zealand bought $2m worth of canned tomatoes (2.6m kg) -- an 86% rise on 2003 volumes.

Frozen berries from China was another increasing trend. Last year nearly 1.4m kg of strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberries arrived, worth $2.6m. That was 15% more berries than in 2006.

Canned fruits were up 17% to nearly $20m and Chinese jam and marmalade poured into the country. A total of 385,000 kg was imported last year -- a 274% rise on the volume imported in 2003 but down on the 535,000 kg imported in 2006.

Kedgley, whose party organised a 30,000-signature petition pushing for country-of-origin labelling, was alarmed New Zealand was becoming "awash" with cheap Chinese fruit and vegetables.

"It is happening right under our noses. But the trouble is, by the time we all wake up and realise what's happening, it is almost too late because sectors have already been decimated by the competition. Garlic growers are literally hanging in by a thread and the apricot industry has been affected also."

Alan Newton, chairman of the Processed Vegetable Product Group for Horticulture NZ, said it was monitoring the flow of greens imported into New Zealand.

"It is a competitive world out there, unfortunately.

"We work under strict quality conditions and we wonder whether the vegetable imports are grown under the same conditions that we adhere to."

Wattie's spokesman Paul Hemsley said overseas vegetables were sourced, where necessary, to deliver the best value to consumers.

"Ingredients may simply not be grown here; the raw material available is either too small or not economically viable, seasonal crops are impacted by poor growing seasons and shortfalls require importation to ensure a supply continuity," he said.

Less than 1% of Wattie's finished products were made from Chinese ingredients, Hemsley said. All products passed through the same approval processes, regardless of where they were sourced.

Ian Turk, who manages Blackcurrants New Zealand and the New Zealand Boysenberry Council, said the importing of berries, when this country had good quality fruit available, was a concern.

"There is no need to import a lot of berries, particularly as we don't have the full history of the growing conditions from where the berries have come from," said Turk, who supports country-of-origin labelling.

Blackcurrant growers have had a few seasons competing with low-priced East European imports.

"That's an incentive for people to import. Their pricing is not sustainable for us at all, and probably not for them.

"If I had a choice of buying New Zealand-grown blackcurrant jam or Polish blackcurrant jam I certainly know what I would buy, and not just because it is my job."