Although keen to establish trade deals with Asian countries, the New Zealand authorities also want to make the country's food industry as economically strong as possible by looking to emerging markets outside the Asia Pacific region.

Speaking to several South American ambassadors at a conference in New Zealand, prime minister Helen Clark said that "it makes sense for New Zealand to increase engagement with the region", as successful import and export exchanges were already in place.

New Zealand exports to Latin America were valued at about NZ$1.1bn in 2006, about 3 per cent of our total exports, and comprised mainly of dairy and meat products, as well as purebred breeding cows and bulls, she said.

Imports from Latin America, on the other hand, were valued at NZ$400m, or 1 per cent of the total imports.

This region plays a particularly important in New Zealand's food supply, Clark explained, as it is the source of many products that the country cannot produce itself.

For example, in 2006, Latin America accounted for 44 per cent of New Zealand's banana imports, 40 per cent of coffee beans, 84 per cent of orange juice products, and 34 per cent of New Zealand's beer imports.

According to Clark, several ministers have visited Latin American countries this year in order to promote commercial collaboration between New Zealand firms and South American partners.

"The focus is on companies involved in the 'food value chain', that is, in all aspects of the food production industry: research, production systems, processing, packing, marketing, distribution, and training," she said.

"New Zealand's special agricultural trade envoy has also visited Mexico, to engage directly with farmers and industry leaders on the opportunities NZ can offer under an enhanced economic relationship," she added.

Several companies have already made successful investments in the region, especially in the dairy processing sector, and companies such as Fonterra now operate plants in countries such as Chile, Brazil and Argentina, she said.

Speaking in China last week, deputy prime minister Michael Cullen said that New Zealand had a thousand year old farming "heritage", that helps food manufacturers across the globe.

He also said that a globalised economy has opened the door to innovation and invention in New Zealand's food industry, paving the way for products that the country did not want to or could not manufacture fifty years earlier.

"A generation ago we didn't have a wine industry to speak of; now our sauvignon blancs and pinot noirs are world-leading," he said. "Our dairy companies are inventing high-nutrition sports drinks, while the horticulture sector is developing high value plant varieties like Zespri Gold kiwifruit and Jazz apples."