New Zealand apricots available from Oppenheimer
“This is always an exciting deal for us,” said Evan Myers, stone fruit category director, noting that for the last 15 years it has been a key component of Oppenheimer’s winter stone fruit program. “Retailers value the high color and excellent eating quality of apricots from New Zealand, and welcome the opportunity to extend their winter stone fruit offerings as the Chilean apricot deal winds down.”
Myers points to this year’s short Chilean apricot deal as a reason the New Zealand fruit will have particular appeal in the coming weeks.
“The New Zealand product can be sold alongside peaches, plums and nectarines from Chile to keep the winter stone fruit category going strong,” he said.
To be sure that the delicate fruit is handled just right through the supply chain, Oppenheimer works with its New Zealand partner Delica Global to carefully select the best apricots for the North American market. The fruit is primarily grown by the Jackson, Darlings and Remarkable Orchards in New Zealand’s Central Otago region.
“While this program is very popular, it has its complexities,” he said. “An apricot is a delicate item, and it requires specific expertise across the supply chain, from production, to packaging, to transportation and quality assurance. Over the years, with our excellent grower partners, we’ve honed our ability to deliver and exceed expectations with this item.”
The fruit is available from Oppenheimer now through March in three-kilogram single-layer trays in a full range of sizes. Oppenheimer can also accommodate customer requests for cherries from New Zealand, Myers said.
Source: www.oppyproduce.com