6.30      Chestnuts

6.30.1 Industry profile

The New Zealand chestnut industry is small and predominantly based around hobby growers in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Auckland regions. However, chestnut trees will grow successfully across most of New Zealand with some plantings established in Northland, Wairarapa, Horowhenua and Canterbury.

Fresh chestnut production is around 350 tonnes annually, produced by about 100 growers with trees planted in an area of 142 hectares. Small quantities of fresh nuts were exported annually up to 2019, however, the emphasis has largely now shifted away from fresh export to frozen export and value-added processing (e.g., chestnut flour and chestnut crumb). New technology may provide solutions for storage issues.

The recognised grower body is the New Zealand Chestnut Council, whose aims are to encourage, promote and advance New Zealand's chestnut industry. This includes promoting the sale and consumption of fresh and processed New Zealand grown chestnuts, both in New Zealand and overseas. Chestnuts are a prescribed product under the Horticulture Export Authority Act.

6.30.2 Exports

Table 6.30.1: Chestnuts (0802.41.00.00) export markets 2022-2024 (year ending June, tonnes, $NZ FOB)

6.30.3 Barriers to export

SPS market access barriers

Most New Zealand chestnuts are sold on the domestic market, with limited volumes exported (fresh or frozen) or processed. There are no known market access issues for processed chestnuts.  Exports of fresh New Zealand chestnuts in the USA and Australia declined around 2007 due to the USA and Australia’s requirement to devitalise nuts with methyl bromide. Any continuing fresh exports go to countries that do not require methyl bromide fumigation, mostly throughout Europe, Asia and the Pacific.