Natural Products Expo Opens Doors For NZ Exporters

Natural Products Expo Opens Doors For Nz Exporters Into Asia

Auckland, May 10, 2002 -- A group of New Zealand companies seeking a share of the burgeoning natural products market in Asia will exhibit together this month in a New Zealand pavilion at Asia’s first-ever Natural Products Expo.

Natural Products Expo Asia 2002 takes place from 15 – 18 May in Hong Kong, the gateway to China and South East Asia, with 11 New Zealand companies taking part and showcasing a wide range of natural products.

The line-up includes honey and bee products, pharmaceuticals, health food and dietary supplements, bottled water, deer velvet and milk-based products such as beverage blends and infant formulae.

The group approach allows the companies to save on costs and maximise their profile at the show. A six-booth area secured by Trade New Zealand at the Expo will have distinct New Zealand branding using black and white décor.

Trade New Zealand Account Manager Jo McEvoy says companies taking part in the Expo will gain vital market intelligence.

“The show will be a good forum for assessing the massive potential of the natural products supply chain in Asia and will give companies an opportunity to meet international and Asian buyers, sellers and decision makers,” Jo McEvoy says.

“The event has the potential to establish New Zealand as a key and preferred supplier in Asia, ahead of tough competition from other countries who are also eyeing the Asian market with interest.”

A recent survey by Trade New Zealand found that Asia remains the most important natural products market for New Zealand, both in terms of current exports and projected growth in exports.

Nearly three-quarters of the companies that responded to the survey are already exporting to Asia with Japan being the most important market, followed by Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore, Taiwan and China and then Malaysia.

One of the New Zealand companies taking part is Richmond Pharmaceuticals, producers of a range of animal-derived raw materials and blood products used throughout the world in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical industries.

Pharmaceuticals Divisional Manager Dr Alan Rogerson says natural products sourced from New Zealand have key advantages.

“There is an acute awareness in Asia of the need to buy safe raw materials. We have the best animal health status in the world and that, combined with the fact that Richmonds provide comprehensive traceability for all our raw materials, makes us a desirable supplier,” Dr Rogerson says.

New Zealand’s reputation as a source of high quality natural products has helped another exhibitor, Nutra-Life Health & Fitness NZ Ltd, get established in the Asian market with its Kordel brand of food supplements.

The company is using the Expo to launch another of its brands in Asia and International Sales Manager Dave Foreman says having a New Zealand identity will give a strong marketing advantage.

Mr Foreman says Asia offers ‘excellent opportunities’ for New Zealand companies, providing they are prepared to meet stringent product registration requirements.

Competition is intense in the Asian natural products market according to Jo McEvoy, who says New Zealand companies must clearly distinguish themselves and be aggressive in their marketing and promotion if they are to succeed.

Given that this is the first Expo of its kind in Asia, she expects participants to spend time examining their competition. Sarah Gibbs, Marketing Manager of Supercritical Extraction New Zealand agrees.

“We see the Expo as a unique opportunity to find out who else is angling for this market, meet key people and learn more about the business culture in Asia,” she says.

Asia is one of the fastest growing markets for the natural products sector. The China dietary supplement market is currently worth US$3.63 billion and is set to increase to more than US$10 billion by 2010. Japan is the second largest supplements market in the world, with a growth rate of 6 percent each year. A number of other Asian markets, including Singapore, are experiencing annual growth of around 5 %.

The companies attending Natural Products Expo Asia are:

Alaron Products (Nelson): manufacturers of dietary supplements sourced from a wide range of natural ingredients (www.alaron.co.nz)

Glenalbany Products (Christchurch): producers of innovative deer velvet products and specialty extracts
(www.Gold-Mountain.co.nz or www.igf.pro.com)

ENZO Nutraceuticals (Christchurch): producers of a broad spectrum of antioxidants purified from fresh New Zealand pine bark (www.enzo.co.nz)

NZ Game Industry Board (Wellington): promoters of New Zealand deer velvet as a dietary supplement (www.nzgib.org.nz)

NZ Manuka Products (Wellington); producers of medicinal products using manuka honey, including treatments for digestive complaints and sore throats (infocus@minidata.co.nz)

Nutra-Life Health & Fitness NZ Ltd (Auckland): manufacturers of health food supplements and powders and supplements for sports, fitness and weight control (www.nutralife.co.nz)

Richmond Pharmaceuticals (Hastings): producers of a range of blood products used as raw materials for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical industries (www.richmond.co.nz)

Siesta Holdings – Waiwera Bottled Water (Waiwera): pure New Zealand water sourced from a spring deep in the Waiwera Valley (www.waiwera.co.nz)

Supercritical Extraction of New Zealand (Wellington); manufacturers of cosmetic and health ingredients by supercritical CO2 extraction technology, including kava kava and rosehip, kiwifruit and ginger oils (www.supercritical.co.nz)

Tatua Nutritionals (Waikato): producers of nutritional ingredients from milk including dietary supplements, functional foods and hospital nutrition formulations
(www.tatua.com)

Velvet Energy (Levin): producers of 100 percent pure New Zealand deer velvet capsules (www.velvetenergy.co.nz)

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