Growers of feijoa in New Zealand see good commercial opportunities for the exotic fruit in the Middle East, according to Pole to Pole Fresh, an export company based in the country's kiwifruit capital Te Puke, in the Bay of Plenty.
The company is targeting New Zealanders living in the United Arab Emirates this year but also sees potential for selling more to a broader consumer market in the Middle East in the coming years, provided the requisite arrangements are in place in terms of shipping logistics.
'At this stage, expat Kiwis are our main target market,' commented Pole to Pole Fresh managing director Todd Abrahams, 'but we also aim to introduce feijoas to new cultures.'
The exporter has shipped a small volume of the fruit to Spinneys this season, which operates a number of premium supermarket chains in the UAE and operates a joint venture partnership with Waitrose in Bahrain.
Customer reaction to the product has reportedly been 'extremely positive' and, according to Abrahams, awareness of the fruit is increasing all the time.
The season for New Zealand feijoas, which is also commonly known as a pineapple guava or guavasteen, began in early March and, although volumes are limited at present, growers in New Zealand are said to be hopeful that their airfreighted exports can find a receptive market in the UAE.
Abrahams noted that the short shelf-life of the fruit, two weeks in a temperature-controlled environment, means the fruit has to be delivered via airfreight.
The New Zealand feijoa season lasts until June, with annual production currently around 1,200 tonnes, about half of which goes to the fresh market.
Abrahams also said he hoped foreign markets including Dubai would buy more of the fruit in future.
'From my visits to Dubai, I can see that consumers are given a lot of choices,' he said, adding: 'They also purchase a lot of imported fruit.'
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