Exactly thirty years ago, the first reefer ship from New Zealand arrived at Zeebrugge. Ever since, the port of Zeebrugge has become the European hub for Zespri kiwifruit.
From the warehouse at the Kiwiweg in Zeebrugge, the first of thousands of tonnes of kiwifruit will be shipped in the coming days to countries in North, Central and Western Europe. "Our terminal in Zeebrugge has some unique features, such as a central location in Europe, excellent accessibility and a reliable quality control system. This year, between May and October, over twenty reefer ships will be mooring at Zeebrugge, which is the equivalent of about 120,000 tonnes of kiwifruit," says Bert Barmans, CEO of Zespri Europe.
New sweet version
Zespri has kicked off the season with a new, 100% natural, kiwi variety: the Zespri Sungold; a sweeter version of the well-known green kiwi, which will become widely available this year in Belgium. New Zealand's harvest of Zespri Green and Gold, as well of the new Sungold, are all already on the shelves.