More than 300 tonnes of lobsters were air-freighted to China in May, up 53 per cent year on year, bringing relief for New Zealand exporters, new figures show.
China is New Zealand’s biggest export market, taking 28 per cent of all goods sold offshore in the year to May.
New Zealand exports of live lobster are surging as Chinese gourmets return to restaurants.
More than 300 tonnes of the crustaceans were airfreighted to China in May, up 53 per cent on the same month last year, according to data released this week by Auckland International Airport.
That is welcome relief for New Zealand lobster exporters, who were forced to release thousands of the shellfish back into the sea in February after China closed restaurants and cancelled orders in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
“Up to 90 per cent of New Zealand’s lobster exports are sent to overseas markets as air cargo,” says Scott Tasker, general manager aeronautical commercial at Auckland Airport.
“Most of that is now heading to China, a market that appreciates fresh, high-quality ingredients particularly in the high-end restaurant and hospitality trade.”
New Zealand is hoping that Chinese demand for its food will help it recover from recession as the closed border hobbles the tourism industry, once its biggest foreign-exchange earner.
China is New Zealand’s biggest export market, taking 28 per cent of all goods sold offshore in the year to May.
The airport company says lobster shipments plummeted 84 per cent in February on China’s lockdown, and remained depressed in March and April.
SOURCE:SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST.
