The first-ever shipment of Enza-branded New Zealand apples to Pakistan will arrive at the end of this month.
Delica Global, which handles export marketing for Enza apples in Asia, is shipping a container comprising 1,176 cartons of Royal Gala to Pakistani-import-export company FA International.
FA International specialises in fruits such as grapes, mangoes, apples and mandarins and it forged relations with Delica Global during a meeting at Fruit Logistica in Berlin earlier this year.
Vicki Kinsey of Delica Global’s marketing department said the company is excited by the new partnership and optimistic that the business will grow in the future.
“We will work with this customer initially to see how far we can go with the market, and allow them to introduce new varieties to their customers,” she told Fruitnet.com.
Pakistan’s traditional varietal preference is for Red Delicious, and Delica is exploring the possibility of sending this variety in the future. Production of Red Delicious is, however, limited in New Zealand, and the key to growth may lie in building consumer acceptance of other varieties such as Royal Gala.
Besides consumers’ varietal preference, Ms Kinsey said the other challenges in supplying Pakistan were much the same as other markets, namely market access and forging relationships.
While the shipment is not the first variety of apples to be sent from New Zealand, it represents the debut shipment of Enza-branded apples. Delica also works with growers in the Americas and Australia that could present additional supply options for this market.
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