Kiwifruit at 81c each

Press, 11 August 1982, Page 18

Kiwifruit at 81c each

i N.Z.P A. staff correspondent , London New Zealand kiwifruit are fetching higher prices than usual in England this season i because of a shortage of the fruit. A central London fruilerer is selling them for 35 pence (about 81 c). each, although a spokesman for the company said that the price would probably drop to about' 25 pence (about 58 c) after the season had run for a few weeks. The reason for the shortage was high winds and severe frosts which hit the crop at a critical time leaving only about half of it good enough for export. The high price for the fruit is attributed to the smaller quantity and a growing demand for them in Britain, a spokesman for the Kiwifruit Information Bureau said He was speaking as the bureau launched its 1982 promotion. which will consist mainly of a 10-minute film to be shown at trade exhibi- , tions.

In 1978 Britain imported i 18.268 trays of kiwifruit from I New Zealand. However, by ■ 1981 this had increased 1000 ■ per cent to 186.417. Predicted i sales for this vear had been !

220.000 trays but only half i that amount has been sent. The season began a little i earlier this year as exporters i sent a consignment of the i fruit by air to prepare the - market for the bulk which arrived later by sea. In Tauranga" the Minister of Agriculture (Mr MacIntyre} told a Kiwifruit Authority planning seminar that kiwifruit prices had been showing a “gentle" decline in recent years. Last year's weather-af-fected crop had been "a bit of a disaster" and would bring about a big jump in production next year. However. ‘-Mr Maclntyre warned that prices would suffer with a large increase. "It seems likely that an increase in export volume of more than 20 per cent in one season.will place added pressure on prices." he said. Lessons to be learnt from last season’s crop were that kiwifruit was sensitive to climatic conditions and only top quality fruit should be exported.