Thailand holds potential for kiwifruit

Thailand offers strong potential for New Zealand kiwifruit, and the agreement between Zespri and T&G signed last week will help tap into that market.

David Courtney, Zespri's General Manager - Government and External Relations, says with increasing volumes of kiwifruit being grown in New Zealand, finding new markets is essential, and Thailand has been identified as a market with strong potential for growth.

Zespri chairman Peter McBride and T&G global chairman Professor Klaus Josef Lutz signed a memorandum of understanding at the fruit industry trade show Fruit Logistica in Berlin last week to develop marketing and sales programmes for Zespri Kiwifruit and T&G branded products.

Under the agreement, only Zespri branded kiwifruit will be sold in Thailand and T&G will open an office in Bangkok to represent and support the two companies' sales programmes.

The companies will work together to grow sales of both Zespri and T&G branded products like JAZZ and ENVY apples in the region,

T&G will work on a commission basis for sales of Zespri branded kiwifruit but Zespri won't be marketing apples, says David.

In the past, under its previous ownership and management, T&G had actively worked to bring down the single desk marketing structure under which Zespri is the primary exporter of NZ-grown kiwifruit beyond Australia.

David says, with its new ownership and management, T&G today is a very different organisation than in the past. Zespri and T&G have formed a new relationship since T&G was purchased by BayWa of Germany and agreed there is value in working together.

'There is value and savings to be made in combining resources. Zespri takes a global view of its markets and with growing volumes of fruit needs new markets and to build long term value for growers.”

The agreement with T&G is for three years, which gives confidence for both parties.

'Looking at the bigger picture, this agreement shows the value of NZ Inc as T&G's Enza brand is a strong brand internationally, as is the Zespri brand and working together is a way to gain the most value for the New Zealand grower.”

The agreement between former rivals also illustrates, says David, that with new people, new strategies and new relationships, 'all sorts of things are possible”.

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1 comment

WTF

Posted on 11-02-2016 05:47 | By tuatua2

When has zespri ever had the growers interest at heart.Just another ploy to maintain their single desk policy or monopoly as it is commonly known.


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