A new brand of Gold kiwifruit is being exported to Hong Kong and Thailand supermarkets this year under the brand, First Gold.

'The clearly defined opportunity is to capture early market space with New Zealand-grown First Gold and that's exciting,” says Zespri CEO Lain Jager.

Zespri CEO Lain Jager says the first export of First Gold kiwifruit is an effort to secure a longer market presence in supermarkets for the fruit.

'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.”

First Gold is the product of a collaborative marketing agreement with industry regulator Kiwifruit New Zealand and First Fresh NZ Ltd of Gisborne.

'First Fresh are experienced fruit marketers who are genuinely committed to the quality positioning of New Zealand kiwifruit and this has supported genuine collaboration and mutual agreement to a careful and considered step-by-step approach to market testing and commercialisation of the variety,” says Lain.

'The trial of this new variety by First Fresh under the collaborative marketing arrangements will represent a new era for the kiwifruit industry and evidence our regulatory arrangements are robust and effective for non-Zespri products.”

The First Gold kiwifruit exports begin with some 6000 fruit being shipped to Thailand and Hong Kong for consumer sensory trials.