In the Netherlands, leading import group Hillfresh International has announced that it is preparing to receive its first volumes of New Zealand kiwifruit for the 2012 campaign, arriving on Friday 4 May.

As an official Zespri partner, Hillfresh will supply Zespri Gold, Zespri Green and Zespri Organic kiwifruit, with the New Zealand group expecting to load around 50 chartered refrigerated vessels over the coming weeks to exclusively carry the majority of the 2012 kiwifruit harvest to key markets in Asia and Europe.

"The Zespri kiwifruit are part of a year-round assortment of Hillfresh," the group noted. "Besides the Zespri kiwifruit Hillfresh has got more great tasting year-round products such as grapes and melons."

Through having the scale to charter ships to exclusively carry Zespri kiwifruit, the New Zealand group says that it gains greater flexibility and efficiencies in its supply of fruit that is in premium condition, with the remainder of the 2012 harvest to be shipped in refrigerated containers.