New Zealand pet food manufacturer enters Canadian market

Riverland Foods, which recently opened New Zealand’s largest export pet food cannery, has partnered with Canadian pet food brand PetKind to introduce its locally produced goods to the North American market.

The company, known for using high-quality ingredients like green-lipped mussels, mānuka honey and kiwi fruit, aims to meet the region’s rising demand for natural and functional pet nutrition.

General Manager Michael Dance highlighted the alignment between Riverland’s product style and North American consumer preferences. “There is a strong correlation between our style of food and consumer demand,” he tells GlobalPETS.

“Riverland’s team’s technical expertise and deep industry knowledge were crucial factors in our decision to work together,” adds Andrew Wasmuth, Co-founder and Owner of PetKind.

Market expansion

Riverland Foods intends to expand its product portfolio by introducing new wet food textures and developing a premium dry food range in collaboration with unnamed supply partners.

The Christchurch-based wet pet food manufacturer has recently entered Australia and South Korea and is currently working to secure export registration for the Chinese market, with plans to fulfill initial orders by Chinese New Year.

Additionally, Riverland Foods is exploring trade shows in China, Japan, the US, the Middle East and the UK next year to explore potential new market entries.

Pet food export landscape

World Bank data reveals that New Zealand’s global pet food exports reached $189.9 million (€179.6M) in 2023.

The United States and Canada ranked among the top 5 destinations, with shipments valued at $55.3 million (€52.3M) and $11 million (€10.4M), respectively.

Other major export markets included China ($60.1M/€56.8M), Australia ($26.5M/€25M), Japan ($11.7M/€11M) and South Korea ($4.6M/€4.3M).