Fruit bodies join hands

Press, 25 February 1989, Page 15

Fruit bodies join hands

By

JOHN HUTCHISON in

San Francisco The New Zealand Kiwifruit Authority has notified the North American trade of its new joint venture combining the operations in North America of the New Zealand Apple and Pear and Kiwifruit marketing boards. The announcement was welcomed by spokesman for the growers and shippers of Californian kiwifruit. The new company, with a name yet to be announced in America, will have headquarters in Seattle, Washington, with Mr Clive Durand as general manager. Mr Durand is the North American manager for the New Zealand Apple and Pear Board, "i based in • Vancouver, British Columbia. The company will be the sole importer of the three fruits, which are the largest" horticultural exports from New Zealand. The distribution and sale of all products brought in will be administered by David Oppenheimer and Associates of Vancouver, now the master agent in North America for New Zealand apples and pears. Seven regional distributors will represent New Zealand kiwifruit across the continent.

Ms Hillary Brick, the North American manager

for the California Kiwifruit Authority, said from her office near San Francisco, “The new joint venture will combine the expertise of both groups toward a more streamlind and efficient operation.” Ms Brick’s office is expected to close in Oakland, California, and be incorporated into the Seattle headquarters. Until recently, it has conducted only a promotion function; it will now also be responsible for direct marketing and sales. Mr Mark Houston, executive of the Californian Kiwifruit Commission, saw in the New Zealand move some benefits for the industry in California and said Ms Brick had kept him informed on the plan. His organisation expects to collaborate on research and marketing programmes which are conducted jointly with the New Zealand authority. From his office in Sacramento, he said he hoped the combined venture could help stabilise and improve the price structure for kiwifruit, and provide a common competitive strategy to meet competition from Chilean kiwifruit, which presses on North American sales during the April overlap of “mirror” harvest seasons in New Zealand and California.