The Zespri brand and the Single Point of Entry status of marketing company Zespri International underpin the strength of the New Zealand kiwifruit industry, says New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc chairman Doug Brown.

Zespri is amongst the most recognised fruit brands in the world and it came about thanks to significant investment and research by the industry and growers.

'Our brand and marketing structure are the envy of other kiwifruit growers worldwide. Year-on-year New Zealand growers are reaping the benefits of the brand in returns. In some cases this brand strength allows the price of Zespri Kiwifruit in international markets to earn a significant premium over kiwifruit from other countries.”

The structure has not been without its challenges with many attempts to undo it, says Doug, but continues to have support of the vast majority of growers. 'The structure returns profits to every grower in New Zealand, not just a small group of growers.”

Doug says it concerns him there are still a small number of growers who are so self-interested they would put the SPE at risk for their own selfish needs. Without the SPE structure, all that would be achieved would be to drive the price of kiwifruit down.

'The benefits of our unique industry structure are not just in the marketplace. Without a unified industry, many growers would not have survived the impacts of Psa-V.

'I seriously doubt we would be in the strong position we are today had we not had an integrated co-ordinated response to the management of the disease.”

Doug says New Zealand's offshore customers, and consumers, also benefit from the Zespri brand and industry structure because, thanks to strict quality controls governing growing, harvesting, packing, cool storing and delivery of the fruit to market, they can be assured of receiving a premium, tasty, safe product.