The value of New Zealand’s kiwifruit exports to the Philippines is increasing with high-end consumers there able to afford premium priced Zespri-branded fruit.
Zespri regional marketing development manager Steven Bunyan told Filipino newspaper the Business Mirror the company saw great potential in the country.
He said higher-end consumers there could easily afford the fruit, which retailed for around P24 (US$0.55) and P35 for the gold variety.
Just two years ago both varieties retailed for between P19 and P21 per piece of fruit, the newspaper reported.
Mr Bunyan said the high price of the fruit was not a deterrent for sales. “Once people have experienced the benefits of the kiwifruit they are happy to pay the price because they know the nutritional and health benefits,” he said. “We don’t believe it’s expensive; we believe it is good value.”
The newspaper also reported that Zespri would begin selling its organic fruit in the country, on the back of increased consumption of organic produce there.
Kingson Chan, from importer Elite Marketing, told the newspaper kiwifruit sales in the country had increased following advertising that promoted the health benefits of the fruit.
Zespri fruit had increasingly come into competition with Chilean kiwifruit, added Mr Chan. “There were some huge deliveries of Chile fruit, but we’re expecting to get ahead of the competition,” he told the newspaper. “The challenge to Zespri is for the people to try our fruit and know the difference. We believe when people eat our fruit, they will know we are the superior fruit.”
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