Britons buy more kiwifruit

Press, 22 June 1984, Page 25

Britons buy more kiwifruit

NZPA staff correspondent London The arrival of this season’s first kiwifruit from New Zealand was marked with the announcement that British imports of the fruit over the last six years had increased five-fold. For the next six months 250,000 trays of kiwifruit have been ordered to supply the British market — an increase of about 30,000 from last year. At the New Zealand House launching of this year’s crop, the head of the London-based New Zealand kiwifruit information bureau, Mr John Morrish, said that this was only a small proportion of the total European consumption, with the West Germans ordering the biggest share of 3.25 million trays, and substantial orders from France, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and Scandinavian countries.

The over-all kiwifruit exports from New Zealand from this ■ month until December, including trade with Japan, the United States, and Canada, will total 12.3 million trays from this year’s bumper crop.

Mr Morrish said, however, that although New Zealand was the first to commercialise kiwifruit production, exports were increasing from California, Italy, France, Israel, Greece, Chile, Zimbabwe, and the Channel Islands. He said he believed that, for the most part, other countries did not threaten New Zealand’s established market because their kiwifruit seasons were at different times although there was some overlap. “Virtually all other countries harvest during the New Zealand off-season but it is also beneficial to have kiwifruit available to the consumer all the year

round,” Mr Morrish said. While New Zealand was by far the largest producer, it also had the advantage of experience in growing and marketing the fruit. New Zealand had set high standards for quality, packaging, and marketing, Mr Morrish said, and was “determined to remain the leader.”

This had led to the new development this year of branding kiwifruit from New Zealand individually — with each fruit having a small self-adhesive label proclaiming its country of origin. “When the New Zealand fruit arrives on the market it is instantly recognised for its superior quality and is keenly sought after,” Mr Morrish said.

“There is a danger that people in this country at least will think that all kiwifruit comes from New Zealand because to us kiwis

and New Zealand are synonymous.” At present, however, marketing representatives in the United Kingdom still believe that the kiwifruit industry has only reached the tip of the iceberg. The fruit is still used most specifically for decorative purposes only, mainly because of its almost prohibitive price.

This has led to lucrative markets being established in continental countries where the patisserie industry is strong. In Britain, the bottom price even during the season rarely goes below 30 pence (about 70c) for each kiwifruit, making it a luxury item.

But the biggest development in Britain has been in trade with supermarkets with almost all the big British companies carrying New Zealand kiwifruit throughout its season.