Cyclone Gabrielle in New Zealand Will Negatively Affect Japanese Squash Importers During February 2023

Cyclone Gabrielle is reportedly the most severe weather event to hit New Zealand in a century and has been passing through major squash-producing areas, including Gisborne on the North Island. The industry is already suffering from low crops due to previous floods, but this cyclone will be a further setback for export. This low harvest mostly affects Japanese importers since the Japanese market is highly dependent on the New Zealand squash supply when local supply is unavailable. New Zealand's squash accounts for about 54% of all the squash imports (83,868MT) in 2022. As local production is forecasted to finish in the coming March 2023, the market price for importing Squash during this April and May is highly likely to soar due to its supply shortage being unable to fulfill demand.