Zespri is experimenting with a new approach to the Chinese market this year, with a trial shipment of bulk, unpacked kiwifruit to Shanghai.
A 220,000 tray shipment of unpacked kiwifruit was sent in cooperation with major packer Seeka. The fruit will be packed on arrival in Shanghai, reported Radio New Zealand.
Seeka’s CEO Michael Franks explained the shipment would save money on labour, shipping and coolstorage.
Packing the fruit on arrival also cut down on handling, he said, and the trial has so far gone well, with minimal fruit loss and good acceptance from customers.
Zespri will review the scheme later this year and evaluate its success, with a potential expansion on the cards.
“Shanghai works because of the cost structures in China,” the company’s CEO Lain Jager said. Small shipments of unpacked fruit will also be made to Europe, but “the focus is on China”, he said.
Zespri’s sales to Asian markets, particularly China, have been growing at rapid rates, and the region has been identified as the largest future market for New Zealand kiwifruit.
