In New Zealand, Eastpack has announced that profit before tax, interest and rebates jumped 44 per cent in 2011, soaring to NZ$17.7m (US$14.3m, €10.9m), attributed to 'a focus on quality to minimise waste and maximise payments to growers'.
Indeed, the postharvest kiwifruit supplier increased returns to green growers by 10 cents per tray last year, taking the average Orchard Gate Return per tray to NZ$4.24, among the highest in the industry.
'EastPack is focused on helping our growers to achieve improved economic results for their business, by supporting them to grow a high yield of high value fruit, very careful picking and low packing prices by delivering a low reject rate, carefully handled product to our packhouses that can be efficiently packed and achieve good coolstore outcomes,' said chairman Ray Sharp said.
And the positive news continued when Eastpack revealed that it is expecting to pack at least 18.8m Class 1 trays of kiwifruit in 2012, down on last year's record volume of 21.3m trays but more than 2m trays higher than the initial 2012 estimate.
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