New Zealand's largest apple processing company, Enzafoods, has launched into its processing season celebrating 50 years in business and the opening of its new $4 million processing line in Hastings.
The new $4 million line at its Hastings factory, purpose-built to produce premium fruit products, will create dozens of new
jobs bringing the workforce to over 150 during the season.
Enzafoods is now injecting an estimated $40 million into the economies of Hawke's Bay and Nelson and providing more profitable contracts to growers for second grade fruit.
General manager Jon Marks says by pureeing and dicing apples, the company has created huge demand for premium fruit products under the FreshFields brand and is delivering profits back to growers. "We've enjoyed tremendous growth, development and innovation, strengthening New Zealand's international reputation as a premium processor of both fruit and vegetables."
This year Enzafoods will process 110,000 tonnes of apples, pears, carrots, berries, kiwifruit and feijoas into juices, juice concentrates, purees and diced and sliced products, supplied to industrial, food service, and retail markets in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Korea, south-east Asia and the US.