Baby kiwifruit given sales push

Bay of Plenty fruit exporter Prendo Produce is not resting on its laurels after winning the region's export awards last month.

It plans to boost marketing of the small kiwifruit variety arguta throughout New Zealand and internationally.

Arguta is a different fruit to the commercial varieties over which Zespri has control of marketing beyond Australia.

Zespri controls green fruit bred from the Actinidia deliciosa species, and gold fruit bred from Actinidia chinensis.

The Actinidia arguta species has been producing red, pink and green fruit - the size of a large cherry and completely hairless - in New Zealand since 1955.

It has been marketed for 11 years in the South Island, initially as "cocktail kiwifruit". In 1995 the labels were changed to "baby kiwifruit" for the Japanese market.

Prendo managing director Tony Ponder said supplies would be available from February.

"Our objective in 2002 and 2003 is to promote and expand the baby kiwifruit arguta through supermarket chains Foodstuffs Group and Woolworths and at the same time increase the amount going into Japan, Taiwan, the United States and the United Kingdom," he said.

"Our experience this year with only a limited supply demonstrated that the product has an excellent future with a great taste experience.

"Supplies this year should be sufficient to reach many New Zealanders."

The small, smooth-skinned kiwifruit variety can be eaten like a grape - skin and all - and has a sweet taste very like a berry.

Prendo Produce also markets grade two green kiwifruit in Australia, and processes other kiwifruit - both green and gold - for the New Zealand market.

In the past year it has started marketing apples and pears around the world through its trading partner Capespan.

The company began five years ago by processing kiwifruit for the domestic market and working on the development of the Australian kiwifruit market.

By taking pears and apples on board following the deregulation of that industry, the firm is using packing space and its marketing and technical skills more fully.

"We saw the need to diversify and the need to get away from relying on one product or one market," Ponder said.

The company has struck up key marketing relationships with several retailing giants on its path to exporting success.

Prendo directly supplies 600 Woolworths supermarkets in Australia with the best of New Zealand's grade two kiwifruit.

It also sends the fruit to Chiquita Foods, which sells to the Coles Myer and Action supermarkets.

It is packing 250 containers of kiwifruit a year, worth $4.5 million, for Australia. It also markets other kiwifruit in New Zealand.

Already this year Prendo has exported more than 180,000 cartons of apples and pears to North America, Mexico, Europe, Britain and the Middle East under the South African brand Cape.

"We found the Capespan network provided certainty into good markets needing strong 12-month supply," said Ponder.

- NZPA