Ian Palmer, chairman of the New Zealand apple and pear industry association Pipfruit NZ, has called upon the country's exporters to develop a more disciplined and collective marketing structure for its shipments and sales to Europe.
According to a report on Radio New Zealand earlier today, Mr Palmer said growers were missing out on millions of dollars in returns because too many exporters and importers were competing in Europe to sell the fruit.
With New Zealand's single-desk system for kiwifruit exports coming under fire in recent weeks but seemingly here to stay thanks to overwhelming support from growers, calls for a return to a more coordinated approach to apple export marketing stand in stark contrast.
The New Zealand topfruit industry underwent deregulation at the end of September 2001 and, although Mr Palmer said he was not advocating a return to such a system for all export markets, he felt the current multilateral approach had failed in Europe.
In particular, he said, the industry had lost the ability to market a 'Brand New Zealand' in Europe, resulting in a situation where exporters are unable to dictate prices.
Pipfruit NZ's annual conference and grower seminar takes place tomorrow in Napier.
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