Mmm...A seasonal story about chocolate exports

Cadbury and Whittaker's milk chocolate. New Zealand Herald Photograph by Brett Phibbs

As New Zealand prepares for the Easter break, we thought it was a good time for some chocolate trade statistics.

This country's chocolate exports reached $115 million last year, 83 per cent of which went across the Tasman, according to figures compiled by NZ Trade & Enterprise.

Other markets for New Zealand chocolate include Singapore ($5.8 million last year), Malaysia ($1.7 million) Hong Kong ($815,000) and South Korea ($793,000).

Chocolate exports have grown by 49 per cent over the past decade, NZTE said.

A spokeswoman for the agency said it was no surprise that so much New Zealand chocolate was ending up in Australia.

"That's where most of New Zealand's processed/branded food goes."

Cadbury exports a large amount of bulk "chocolate crumb" to Australia, while Whittaker's also exports across the Tasman.

In 2012 Cadbury said about $100 million worth of block chocolate was consumed in New Zealand annually and and the easter egg market was worth $30 million.