Groceries Drought rockets coffee prices

Press, 24 April 1986, Page 20

Groceries Drought rockets coffee prices

This month’s rise in the price of coffee reflects the rapid escalation of world coffee prices because of a severe drought in Brazil. The sales manager of G.U.S. Wholesalers, Mr Brian O’Callaghan, said the increase came after a previous price rise in January, and represented about a 17 per cent rise in price for coffee beans or ground beans, and a 10 per cent rise in price for instant coffee. Mr O’Callaghan said general price increases for all types of goods had not slowed down. “There is a fairly steady flow of price increases covering a lot of products — cleaners, biscuits, essences, powder drinks, shampoos, and soaps.” The average increase was between 5 and 7 per cent, he said. Quiz Yoplait yoghurt is sponsoring a national quiz competition on French geography, history, culture and products, for secondary school pupils.

Professor J. Dunmore, of Massey University, and the New Zealand Federation of Alliances Francaises, are organising the quiz, which has a $5OO first prize. Nine Christchurch schools have entered, and each will have one representative at the local regional finals next week. The regional winners go on to national semi-finals, and final, with prizes at each level. The organisers hope the quiz will become an annual event. “Chip Wars” First it was thinner, crinklier chips, but now the new-wave potato chip has taken on a thicker, chunkier look. Eta Foods has just released its new-look chip, hoping to crush its more delicate competitors with the O’Ryans plain or AuGratin thick chip. Milk Trim Milk, launched in Christchurch last November, is proving increasingly popular with consumers. ■

According to a survey commissioned by the New Zealand Milk Board, about 13 per cent of consumers now mostly drink Trim Milk. It is most popular with women under the age of 40, and the survey showed that those who had changed their milk consumption since Trim Milk became available are likely to be in the 25 to 54 age-group. Of the total market, 26.5 per cent of respondents had tried Trim Milk. The main reason given for consuming the milk was that it tasted better than other milks, and many non-fat milk drinkers changed to Trim Milk. Asparagus New Zealand may soon be cashing in on a big market for asparagus on the United States west coast. The marketing officer at New Zealand’s San Francisco Consulate, Ms Christy Nordskog, has just completed a survey of the west coast asparagus market. Her main findings are that a large market exists during the northern hemisphere off-season of September, October and November, three to six months after the AmeriChicago success A two-week New Zealand food and travel festival in Chicago was a first-rate example of the New Zealand incorporated marketing strategy in action, according to the Minister of Trade and Marketing, Mr Moore. The festival was held at Chicago’s three Neiman Marcus department stores, and was opened by the Minister of Maori Affairs, Mr Wetere. Mr Wetere was in Chicago for the arrival of Te Maori exhibition, and the festival followed the pattern set in other cities that stage the exhibition. “By now Neiman Marcus store executives and our trade people share a great deal of mutual confidence and expectation of success based on the experience of running similar promotions in stores in Dallas and San Francisco when Te Maori was there,” said Mr Moore.

can and Mexican crops peak. The upward trend in year-round demand for fresh produce is strengthened by a two-month tariff “window.” This is open from mid-September to mid-November, and sees the duty on airfreighted shipments of asparagus fall from the normal 25 per cent to 5 per cent. Chile is making use of this situation by increasing its asparagus shipments to the United States 63 per cent in 1985. Exports from New Zealand are about 6 per cent of

this amount. The report put out by Ms Nordskog said New Zealand growers needed to make a heavier commitment to the west coast market in terms of quality, presentation, distribution, and pricing. The report looked at present pricing levels, the commonly used containers for asparagus in air transit, American grading standards, and the popular varieties of the vegetable. Copies of the report are available from the Trade and Industry Department, Trade Services Division.