Isn't it disappointing to see all of this negative feedback about the taste/ texture of the product? This is one of our most significant exports and we should all be extremely concerned that the quality had been compromised at least partly by the lack of access to skilled labour so as to optimise the quality of the product.
The immigration restrictions are therefore at least a contributing factor and something tangible has to be done about this. Announcement after announcement will not do!
- Mark S
I only drink kiwifruit juice. The fruit is a gamble and impossible to get out with teaspoon and messy.
- Bevan M
All we as the public hear is how much profit Zespri makes. Wow, that's fantastic. Pity about the quality though. Put it back on the growers, usual way to go. Don't send rubbish in the first place.
- Gregory T
Just bought two NZ kiwifruit in Germany to try - about the equivalent of NZ$2.60 each. Soft and tasteless. Must have been old although they sit in the supermarkets for days at that price. The Italian ones are nicer and less than half the price.
- Brian G
I ask myself why in the first place Zespri would export inferior quality product. In other words, wouldn't it be better to lose a year's income rather than inflict lasting reputational damage on the brand?
- Tom B
Time to juice, bottle, chutney, jam and modify their market. If kiwifruit could be used in cosmetics the time is now… get out the number 8 wire methinks?
Kiwi liqueur could be the next big thing…
- John W
When fruit is bred and grown for size, shape and looks rather than taste, it should be no surprise that any superficial blemish or marking will have a disproportionate effect on the perceived value that the market is, therefore, willing to pay. And when taste is either bland or otherwise not up to the usual blandness, what is left to pay for? For too long it has been about the appearance of the fruit. Yes, we do buy with our eyes to some extent, but the industry, in general, is guilty of training us to do so more than we used to back when a lumpy apple with a patch of rough skin tasted a whole lot better than what we find on supermarket shelves these days.
- Malcolm R
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