The European kiwi season is delayed. The first ship from New Zealand arrived in Zeebrugge last week. Traces of mice could be seen in the ship’s fruit holds. The fruit was then quarantined on board while the cargo was further checked. “This results in all affected fruit being identified and destroyed,” said Zespri chief operating officer Jason Te Brake.
Zespri emphasizes that this is the first time that it has had to deal with vermin on ships. “We have a proven track record of over twenty years of supplying only the highest quality fruit. This is the first time in over twenty years that we have encountered this issue. We are working with our shipping partner and insurers to determine the cause and put in place additional processes to prevent this from happening again,” says Te Brake.
As a result, Zespri’s kiwifruit season in Europe has now been postponed by a week. The second charter ship will arrive in Zeebrugge on Saturday. That fruit will first be inspected before it is delivered to customers. “We are now working with our customers and distribution partners to ensure we can start the European sales season as soon as possible to meet strong consumer demand,” says Te Brake.
