Zespri’s chief global supply officer Alastair Hulbert says following an intensive three-month procurement process, a range of service providers have been selected for the tests.
They include AgFirst in Hawke’s Bay and Nelson, Hill Laboratories, Linnaeus, Pinpoint Lab Services and Verified Lab Services.
The replacement companies were necessary due to Zespri’s previous lab service Eurofins Bay of Plenty dropping the test at the start of last season, leaving the industry without the valuable test.
The taste component based on dry matter analysis has become an increasingly valuable incentive component of fruit payment.
In 2019 the taste payment made up about 40% of total fruit and service payments on class one fruit.
Eurofins had claimed difficulties in complying with covid-19 protocols laid out by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) when it dropped the test
In response to the unexpected loss the industry was compelled to remove taste payments across all varieties, with payments redistributed back to growers.
Early harvest kiwifruit growers are often the biggest beneficiaries of the taste profile payment through the KiwiStart programme that has a large component of taste payment, compensating for early harvest’s impact on taste profile.
Hulbert says following a wide review of Zespri’s sampling and testing process for harvested fruit, there has been an adjustment to align grower behaviour with consumer preferences.
“This will allow us to continue to produce great tasting fruit and support an even flow of fruit through the packhouse,” Hulbert said.
“More broadly, ongoing consumer sensory research in our key markets will better inform any future changes that may be considered for the taste programme.”
Zespri intends to carry out an education programme to familiarise the industry with the new system, which includes a new maturity software system.
With the newly commercialised Red kiwifruit now on the market, Zespri is continuing to explore potential taste incentive arrangements as the volumes of the crop build.
In 2020, 150ha of the new fruit was licenced for planting.
