"We adapt the taste to the demands of the final consumer, and based on this, we have developed this variety. We now offer two possibilities: our kiwi Zespri Green (green kiwi Hayward), with its refreshing flavour with a touch of acidity, and the new Zespri SunGold, with an exquisite balance between sweet and sour. It is now up to the consumer to decide," explains Enrique Guío, Market Manager of Zespri Ibérica.
Nowadays, the Hayward remains Zespri's most important product in terms of volume, with about 80 million trays sold globally, although in just two years, the Zespri SunGold has already reached 50 million trays.
"While the annual number of boxes of green kiwi remains more or less stable, last season we saw a 28% increase in the production and marketing of Zespri SunGold, from 39 million to about 50 million trays in a single year. Zespri has been planting a lot of SunGold and we hope to grow again in the coming season, although perhaps not as much as last year," pointed out the representative of Zespri in Spain.
At the moment, 80% of the kiwis consumed in Spain are Zespri Green and the other 20% are Zespri SunGold, which has been chosen by Spanish consumers as 'Flavour of the Year 2016'. "In Asia, the market share for each variety is more balanced than in Europe, and in the European Union, the markets where it is consumed the most are Benelux and Germany, followed by Spain and France. In the Spanish market, we expect consumption to grow in the next few years and Zespri SunGold could easily reach a 30% share, compared to 70% of the Zespri Green," states Enrique Guío.
The PSA, a bacterium that only affects kiwi plants of all sorts, motivated Zespri to replace the variety Zespri Gold with the Zespri SunGold, as the latter is more resistant. According to Enrique Guío, "the PSA will continue to exist, we just need to keep learning to live with it."
Zespri has production in Europe to be able to supply the market 365 days a year. "The Zespri System production method, very rooted in New Zealand, has been implemented in several European countries, but in Spain, however, smallholdings abound and implementing the Zespri System is more complicated. Quality should be as homogeneous as possible, whatever the origin."
The kiwi campaign, which started in May, is now at its peak in terms of consumption. "This is, perhaps, the most important time for us. Consumption greatly improves with the return from the holidays and the start of school activities. The campaign devoted to fruit of New Zealand origin, which will come to an end in late November and early December, is marked by very similar sales compared to last year's campaign, as well as reasonable prices."
For more information: http://www.zespri.eu/es