Ongoing investments in operations and marketing are paying off for Zespri as it goes into another record kiwifruit season in New Zealand.
The company recently put a precautionary hold on 1.7 million trays of kiwifruit due to potential contamination issues, successfully catching the problem before any of the fruit in question reached the market.
“This was a precautionary measure as there was the possibility of contamination in a very limited number of those 1.7 million trays, and we’re now working to find out which trays – if any – were affected,” Zespri Chief Executive Officer Simon Limmer says.
“The potential issue was picked up in a packhouse after harvest. Basically when they were taking the packaging out and preparing it for fruit they discovered a small amount of the packaging had been affected by a leak from a grease line that unfortunately contaminated it.”
He says the majority of the trays are contained in New Zealand, with some also located on ships offshore.
“The important thing is that none of the product entered the market and none will enter the market until we’ve identified any potential residue,” Mr Limmer says.
“We’re very glad system worked, and that this process worked in identifying the potential problem early on as that makes all the difference.”
Over the past few years, Zespri has made significant investments in processes from harvest right through to storage and shipping. Mr Limmer says they are seeing the dividends of this focus come through as they gear up for the main part of the New Zealand harvest season.
“It’s great for growers, we’re seeing real lifts in productivity. We’re also seeing our investments in packing and cooling facilities pay off as products come in,” he says.
“Another areas we’ve been looking at is with the actual fruit, where we’ve recently raised taste our standards.
“We’re constantly trying to measure and meet expectations in the market, so we’re pleased to lead the industry and adapt and tweak things based on what our customers and consumers are expecting.”
Market demand is proving strong for both Zespri’s green and gold varieties, with growth across all key global markets.
“The Zespri brand is known for its exceptional standards and quality, and we’re always looking to build on that,” Mr Limmer says.
He says they are also looking to build on the strength of their varieties by further exploring the health benefits of kiwifruit.
“Taste and health are the two things we recognise as attributes our customers look for, so they are both a significant part of our focus,” he says.
“As well as raising our taste standards, we’ve got a health symposium that kicks off this week in New Zealand, with around 150 industry experts and stakeholders attending. So we’ll have nutritionists, dieticians and other key figures talking about the unique attributes of the kiwifruit and a lot of exciting messages will come out of that.”
Zespri is also continuing its focus on building relationships with retailers and distributors around the world. In China, for example, many of their customers in the wholesale markets have prominent Zespri branding established for their stands.
“At a lot of different markets round there, the Zespri brand is very prominent because of the consistency in quality,” Mr Limmer says.
“We spend so much time on our product that it’s become recognisable for its high standards, and it’s excellent to see customers taking initiative in this way.”
