It’s not the first news of a brand new gold kiwifruit variety to hit Asian markets out of New Zealand in the last 12 months, but the latest headline has a twist; this variety will not be exported and marketed by Zespri.
New Zealand horticulture company First Fresh NZ is collaborating with single-desk kiwifruit marketer Zespri to export a new early gold variety called First Gold.
The deal is set up as a collaborative marketing arrangement under New Zealand’s 1999 Kiwifruit Export Regulations. But while 10 other exporters have such arrangements with Zespri, approved by regulator Kiwifruit New Zealand, the deal with First Fresh is the first for a non-Zespri gold variety.
The new deal is being hailed as an example of how effective the collaborative marketing system is, in counterpoint to criticism over the last few years from horticultural group Turners & Growers.
First Gold’s presence in Asia will kick off in early April with consumer trials in Thailand and Hong Kong supermarkets, according to a statement from Zespri, and will slot into the season before Zespri Gold.
“The clearly defined opportunity is to capture early market space with New Zealand-grown First Gold and that’s exciting,” said Zespri CEO Lain Jager.
“Importantly, this trial will help us to understand the interaction between First Gold and Zespri Gold in the market. It is critical we open the season with a strong product that delivers a positive eating experience because this will help support the growth of the category in the markets. Conversely, if the product disappoints early then that will obviously have implications for the broader positioning of the gold category.”
The roughly 6,000 trays – which will be sold at a similar price to Zespri Gold – will be distributed in Thailand by importer City Fresh Fruit Co, which has a long-established working relationship with First Fresh.
“The markets of Thailand and Hong Kong have been selected because they are emerging markets with a strong demand for New Zealand kiwifruit,” said First Fresh managing director Ian Albers.
“Partner retail outlets in Thailand include Tops, Big-C, Tesco Lotus, Makro, Villa and Carrefour, which are all known as innovative marketers, supportive of line extension work.
In Hong Kong distribution will be managed by Zespri Asia, and the kiwifruit will be trialled exclusively in Wellcome Supermarkets, Hong Kong’s largest and oldest supermarket chain.
Thailand and Hong Kong have been standout adopters of Zespri Gold since its release, added Mr Albers, so an earlier gold variety is likely to find a good home in the markets.
First Fresh is one of New Zealand’s larger fresh produce marketers, and already exports Class II green kiwifruit to Australia. The company has also been trialling small volumes of First Gold in the Australian market over the last two years.
The new variety First Gold was developed by New Zealand breeder Don Skelton at Skelton Kiwifruit as part of a breeding programme running for over 30 years. First Gold is also known by the variety name Y356.
