New Zealand’s Seeka Kiwifruit Industries and joint venture partner, Jace Investments have announced the purchase of South-Auckland-based packing and coolstore business, VeriKiwi.

Under the deal, Jace Investments will purchase VeriKiwi’s 1.1ha site containing its packhouse and coolstore facilities, which will be leased back to the new joint venture.

In announcing the purchase, Seeka md Tony de Farias, said the jv - which will trade as South Auckland Pack & Cool - offers significant opportunity to its partners and to kiwifruit growers in South Auckland.

“Established by the Verissimo family some 15 years ago, VeriKiwi is a leading packhouse in the South Auckland region,” he said.

“This year it will pack some 900,000 trays of kiwifruit. Add that to the 1.4 million trays packed out of the South Auckland district by Seeka through its Bridge Cool Business, Seeka will handle around 2.3 million trays of the approximate 3.5m trays grown from the region”. This makes it one of marketer Zespri’s largest suppliers.

Andrew Darling has been appointed general manager of the new company. He is a principal of Jace and a former ceo of Bridge Cool.

“There are a number of benefits and advantages to growers being able to pack their fruit in South Auckland,” said Darling.

Increased yield from South Auckland benefits Seeka too. The local crop traditionally has high dry matter and a significant proportion of early fruit enabling early packing.

VeriKiwi services kiwifruit growers throughout the South Auckland district most of whose orchards are well-established.