Following discussions with Vietnamese authorities in Wellington last week, New Zealand’s potato industry is confident of gaining market access to the South East Asian nation.
Potatoes New Zealand chief executive Champak Mehta told Radio New Zealand last week’s discussions were extremely positive, with both countries hopeful of signing off on import requirements by December.
Mehta said there was a strong consumer demand for potatoes in the emerging market, due to the large French influence on Vietnamese cooking.
Securing Australian market access also remains a priority for the New Zealand industry, according to Mehta, however progress on this front remains slow.
Earlier this year, the Australian senate blocked a move to allow fresh New Zealand potatoes to enter Australia for processing. It was the third time market access had been denied.
Fiji remains the largest export market for fresh New Zealand potatoes.
