Fruitmark raspberries

New Zealand exporter Turners & Growers has announced a move into the European frozen fruit business with a new joint venture between the group's Australian subsidiary Fruitmark and partners in Belgium.

The new company, Fruitmark nv/sa, will service the European market for so-called Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) and fresh fruit processing, sourcing frozen fruit from around the world and selling it globally.

With offices and cool-store facilities in Belgium, Fruitmark nv/sa will also act as Fruitmark Australia's buying office for IQF fruit in Europe, supplying the Australasian market.

Turners & Growers managing director Jeff Wesley said the company would offer a wide product range, including berries, figs, pomegranate, exotics such as pineapples and mangoes, apples and pears.

'The IQF market is a logical extension of our global fresh fruit business and, as always, we are procuring premium products for the top-end of the global markets,' he commented.