Leading New Zealand citrus marketers First Fresh and Zeafruit will combine their export production operations this season, in a bid to maximise the volume available for overseas shipments, according to the Gisborne Herald.
The approach comes after both companies failed to meet demand for their offerings at certain stages last season. By creating greater security around supply, Zeafruit general manager Glen Dunseath said the former rivals would now be able to pursue new export opportunities.
“Over the last couple of seasons we have identified and developed new export opportunities for exporting citrus to China, especially for lemons and satsumas,” Dunseath told the Gisborne Herald. “One of the biggest challenges has been having confidence around supply. This agreement gives us that confidence and allows to actively pursue these new programmes.”
First Fresh managing director Ian Albers agreed with Dunseath, suggesting New Zealand was well positioned to capitalise on growing global demand for high-quality citrus.
““Demand for meyers into the US has exploded in recent seasons and in Japan Gisborne navels are in demand because of their flavour and the fact that we can supply fruit free of post-harvest chemicals,” Albers explained. “New Zealand is one of the few countries that enjoys unfettered access into China for its citrus products. This new partnership arrangement will allow these opportunities come to fruition.”
Albers said consolidation was necessary if New Zealand’s boutique citrus industry was to remain competitive.
“Even though we are competitors, when it comes to export our competition is not the other marketing company down the road — it’s every other Southern Hemisphere citrus-producing country,” Albers told the Gisborne Herald. “Knowing that Zeafruit can supplement our own supply avoids duplication of effort and allows us to concentrate on the job of marketing that fruit to extract maximum value.”
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