New Zealand brand, Just Avocados, has been given the green light to send their first shipment of avocados to New Zealand.
The Just Avocados brand is owned by Australasian fresh produce business, The Darling Group, and is specific to their New Zealand avocado supply arm.
“I am proud of the team’s success and of the level of professionalism and capability we demonstrated to ensure every detail of the Just Avocados’ packing facility and systems met the China specifications,” said Darling Group general manager of sales and marketing, Jacob Darling.
In January, Chinese officials audited the Darling Group facilities and gave them a tick of approval. After a trial in February, the group is now ready to send more serious volumes.
Darling said there is work to be done to carve out a market in China for New Zealand avocados, but is confident following a successful citrus programme into Shanghai last year.
“We have a number of great stories to share with consumers about New Zealand avocados, the unique health benefits being a strong message to leverage in this market,” he said.
“Learnings from our 2017 citrus programme will be used to optimise our New Zealand avocado programme in the coming season.”
Demand in China for avocados has been on a steady increase, with a total of 20,000 tonnes imported in 2017 compared with 31 tonnes in 2011, just six years prior.
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