Germans seek more kiwifruit

Press, 10 November 1982, Page 30

Germans seek more kiwifruit

PA Tauranga New Zealand kiwifruit are superior to their Californian counterparts, according to the the managing director of the giant German wholesaleretail conglomerate, Edeka. The quality of the NewZealand product was veryhigh. Dr Karl-Peter Kress said during a one-day visit to the western Bay of Plenty. "No-one else supplies fruit with such a consistently high quality as your growers in New Zealand.” he said. "France. too. supplies kiwifruit of a high quality but its supplies come on to the market during your off season, their product keeping interest in kiwifruit high while your fruit is not available.” According to Dr Kress. New Zealand has little to worry about where competition from other countries is concerned. He was critical of the relatively low volume of kiwifruit available from NewZealand to his company, which is the biggest customer of Auckland Exports. Ltd. "We would like to see you

sending over much more fruit than you do now." he said. "If you were supplying about five times more than you supplied this season it would be about right. "Our staff on its own could eat the amount you sent us this season.” Edeka. with 21.000 stores throughout the Federal German Republic, is the biggest wholesale-retail organisation in Germany. Dr Kress, with 24 directors of the company, has visited New Zealand for three days at the invitation of Auckland Export. Ltd. and the Apple and Pear Board. Auckland Export’s managing director. Mr Graeme Rutherfurd, said that because the crop this year was considerably lower than previous seasons his company, with other exporters. was placed in the position of virtually rationing supplies throughout the world.

"Obviously this is a verygood position for us to be in and. as Dr Kress said, we have no worries about finding a ready market, even when our crop runs into the 90 million trays predicted by 1990," Mr Rutherfurd said. “