Zespri is confidant consumer demand will continue to keep pace with increasing supply volumes of SunGold.
Speaking exclusively with Asiafruit at Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong last week, Zespri chief executive Lain Jager said the company anticipated SunGold production will top 60m trays by 2019, with the company well positioned to accommodate the added volume.
“A sensible question to ask is where are you going to put 60m trays of SunGold,” Jager said. “The answer is 15m trays into Europe, 15m trays into China, 10m trays into Japan. We’ll also have 3m or 4m trays into Taiwan and 2m or 3m trays into South Korea. There are also good markets in Hong Kong, Singapore, South East Asia and America that will take it through to 60m. We’re very comfortable going through to 60m in that sort of timeframe.”
With SunGold sales programmes winding-up for 2015, Zespri anticipates around 32m trays will be sold this year, a substantial increase on the 19m trays marketed in 2014. Jager said this is the direct result of new production coming online, as SunGold vines across New Zealand enter full maturity.
“With maturing vines it’s always hard to forecast but next year it looks we’ll go from 32m trays to 41m trays,” Jager told Asiafruit. “We’ve gone from 19m trays last year to 32m trays this year, so 41m trays next year would follow this trajectory perfectly.”
Jager said the 2015 SunGold season had run smoothly, with the fruit selling through in “very good order” and arriving in markets in “very clean” condition. Global sales programmes have been underpinned by a substantial investment in promotions.
“We’ve spent NZ$2 (US$1.25) a tray on marketing this season, which equates to about 12 per cent of net sales,” Jager said. “Most of it has been tastings, simply getting people to hold the fruit and eat it.”
