Food and processing

The production, processing and export of food products is particularly significant for Southland. Locally sourced primary produce includes a wide range of seafood, crops, meat, poultry and dairy.

Existing Businesses

Southland is renowned for a number of primary produce which finds its way to a number of restaurants and cafes both locally and throughout the country. Popular menu selections include fresh seafood and meat dishes such as venison, oysters, blue cod, lamb and beef. Seafood, particularly Oysters are a sought after delicacy when sourced from Southland - worth an estimated $30 million annually. Another delicacy is the Muttonbird, which is harvested in an annual tradition by local Maori. The harvest which occurs annually was and still has a huge cultural and economic significance for the people of the region and is a sought after delicacy. Both wild and farmed Venison can be found on menus in and around the Southland region, with Mossburn in Northern Southland is regarded as New Zealand's deer farming capital. Locally sourced lamb, beef and speciality cheeses can also be found in local restaurants.

Dairy processing is an important area of manufacturing in Southland. Dairy processing is undertaken by larger companies as well as other smaller processors in the region. Fonterra is New Zealand’s largest company, and is known as one of the world’s top five dairy processors. Fonterra’s manufacturing of dairy commodities takes place in a number of regions within New Zealand, with a new plant in Southlands Edendale.

Meat and seafood processing are large employers in the Southland region. Fish processing plants are found in Bluff, Invercargill and Stewart Island with local deepwater fish species and farmed produce being the main supplies. Major meat processing plants are located in Southland operated by Alliance Group Limited and PPCS. Having processing plants located within Southland makes logistics simpler given the high amount of sheep, beef and deer produced in the region.

Opportunities