Another horticultural market has opened up – and again after years of legal wrangling!

New Zealand potato growers are now looking forward to exporting to South Korea, after a 16 year court battle around import and safety requirements.

Potatoes New Zealand Chairman Terry Olsen says the announcement has massive implications for the whole industry.

"It is very good news and it is a welcomed opportunity.

"It comes at the end of 16 years of commitment and work by groups of people, so it’s good that the effort has been recognised in a positive way.

"However to maximise the opportunity that will potentially come our way it’s going to take a lot of work and collaborative activity here in NZ to get the best outcome we can get."

Mr Olsen says it’s too early to start talking about dollar figures coming in to New Zealand, but best estimates are in the tens of millions.

"That’s always going to be a million dollar question, you know there is still a lot of work to do in South Korea to co-ordinate our approach.

"So that is going to be one of those things that we take in small steps...start from there and build up."

Potatoes New Zealand says the potential growth in South Korea is another key factor, as population is tipped for big rises over the next decade.