In April the first Zespri kiwis from New Zealand arrived in the port of Zeebrugge. Bert Barmans, CEO of Zespri Europe, made time for an exclusive interview with Primeur. We asked him about his expectations for the season, the advantage of a brand in fresh produce, the impact of PSA, and of course if we can look forward to a red variety.
Bert Barmans, CEO Zespri Europe, and the captain of the vessel.
The estimates for the 2015 season were positive. Are you still satisfied about the forecasts?
“Yes, I am very optimistic. We have had a very good growing and blooming season, with nearly ideal circumstances. There was no frost or hail to damage the harvest. The sizing of the kiwis is also good. We have a lot of big sizes, for which there’s a lot of demand from the market. The expectations for the volumes are also good. With the SunGold, we are also achieving the long expected increase in volume. We have been blessed with a good year.”
Estimates talk about 70 million boxes of Green and 30 million boxes of Gold. How much of these totals is destined for Europe?
“We sell about half of the volume of Green, that is 35 million boxes. That’s a normal volume. For the SunGold, we’re expecting to bring 6 million boxes to the market. That means we’re back to the volume of before the PSA with the Gold.”
Speaking of the PSA, what’s the situation like now?
“We have learned to deal with it. The situation is under control. Growers have taken lessons, and procedures have been introduced, and the way of working has been adjusted to take the hygiene in the kiwi orchards to an even higher level. That makes a big difference.”
The Gold variety is on the wane. The SunGold is to take over this position. In roughly ten years, Zespri wants the market for SunGold to be as big as the market for Green. Can we still look forward to a red variety?
“Within Zespri, we have a number of red varieties in the trial phase, but no definitive decision has been taken yet. I don’t expect a red variety to be introduced to the market commercially in the near future. The varieties we are testing are promising, but the road to a new variety being introduced on the market is long.”
Zespri has become a brand. We don’t have many brands in fruit and veg. What’s the advantage of a brand?
“Carrying a brand is mostly a challenge, because you make a promise to the consumer. You actually say that if you buy this product with our name, you’re guaranteed to get consistency in things like flavour, ripening, and the product conforming to food safety standards. Of course we work with a natural product, but you have to fulfil that promise. We put a lot of energy into that.”
Would it be better for the fruit and veg sector if more brands were introduced?
“Yes, I think it would be better for the sector. But the companies do have to realizes that it’s not just about putting a sticker on a kiwi. You really have to live up to the promise of your brand, but to stand out in the market, a brand could be helpful.”
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