Treating diverse soil types
Farming is New Zealand’s largest industry and the one it is best known for internationally. Cropland is devoted to a variety of purposes, including forestry, pastureland and vineyards. Though dairy and beef cattle production are the dominant industries, nearly 80% of the nation’s export revenue in 2018 came from three primary products: Kiwifruit, wine, and apples. Common seed crops include cereal grains, primarily wheat, oats, barley and maize; peas and lentils; oil seed rape, and forage crops such as ryegrass and white clover for grazing animals.
New Zealand’s climate is also ideal for growing fruits. Stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and cherries are consumed primarily domestically, while nearly 30 varieties of apples and pears are exported worldwide. The nation’s most famous agricultural export, the kiwifruit, is also its largest.
For a small country, New Zealand has a diverse mix of soils, but only a few types are fertile enough to produce food without the help of added nutrients and micronutrients. With large areas of volcanic soils and periods of heavy rainfalls, many of New Zealand’s crops can benefit from added boron.