Editing Taranaki (section)

==Economy==
The subnational gross domestic product (GDP) of Taranaki was estimated at NZ$9.51 billion in the year to March 2020, 2.94% of New Zealand's national GDP. The regional GDP per capita was estimated at $76,715 in the same period, the highest in New Zealand.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Regional gross domestic product: Year ended March 2020 {{!}} Stats NZ|url=https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/regional-gross-domestic-product-year-ended-march-2020|access-date=2021-04-06|website=www.stats.govt.nz}}</ref>

Taranaki’s economy is centred around [[Dairy farming in New Zealand|dairy farming]], [[hydrocarbon exploration]], and manufacturing (including agricultural and energy based manufacturing) with these industries making up approximately 40 percent of the region’s GDP in 2019. Taranaki has had the highest GDP per capita from 2007 onward except in 2017 when Wellington was higher.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Regional gross domestic product: Year ended March 2020 {{!}} Stats NZ|url=https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/regional-gross-domestic-product-year-ended-march-2020#taranaki|access-date=2021-04-06|website=www.stats.govt.nz}}</ref>

In the 2019–20 season, there were 468,000 milking cows in Taranaki, 9.5% of the country's total herd. The cows produced 185,320 tonnes of milk solids, worth $1,334 million at the national average farmgate price ($7.20 per kg).<ref>{{Cite web|title=New Zealand Dairy Statistics 2019–20|url=https://www.dairynz.co.nz/publications/dairy-industry/new-zealand-dairy-statistics-2019-20/|access-date=2021-03-08|website=www.dairynz.co.nz|language=en}}</ref> The Dairy Farming industry is the largest employer in Taranaki, comprising 5 per cent of all employees.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/11453-regional-factsheet-taranaki-pdf | title=Regional fact sheet: Taranaki | website=www.mbie.govt.nz}}</ref> The region is home to the world’s largest milk production facility by annual volume, Fonterra’s Whareroa Plant near Hawera, which produces milk powder, butter, casein whey and cheese. The region also boasts the largest secondary cheese operation in Asia-Pacific as well as a high-tech lactose plant producing pharmaceutical lactose for the global medical industry and a speciality artisan cheese facility.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://about.taranaki.info/Taranaki-s-Industries/Dairy.aspx |title=Venture Taranaki – About Taranaki |access-date=7 April 2021 |archive-date=11 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211033822/https://about.taranaki.info/Taranaki-s-Industries/Dairy.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Natural gas from Taranaki’s fields accounts for around 20% of New Zealand’s primary energy supply. It provides heat, energy and hot water supply for over 245,000 New Zealand households as well as more than 10,000 commercial users such as restaurants, hotels, greenhouses and hospitals. The single biggest user of natural gas is Methanex, also based in Taranaki, who use it as a feedstock to produce methanol for export. Taranaki's natural gas is also used to make urea for use on farms. The head offices of many energy companies are based in the region along with specialist service and supply companies, including freight, logistics, fabrication, technical, professional services and consultancies as well as environmental and health and safety expertise. The region is renowned for its world class engineering design and project management skills, which tackles on and off shore fabrication and construction.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://about.taranaki.info/Taranaki-s-Industries/O-G.aspx |title=Venture Taranaki – About Taranaki |access-date=7 April 2021 |archive-date=10 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210140242/https://about.taranaki.info/Taranaki-s-Industries/O-G.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>