Australian marketer Grape Co Australia is making a major move into premium gold kiwifruit, securing exclusive Australian rights to a new variety as it looks to build a domestic industry capable of competing with imported New Zealand fruit.
Grape Co Australia director Adrian Caia says the business had been watching the category closely before deciding to get involved with the H14 variety.
© Innea Biotechnology
“We’ve been pretty intrigued in the kiwi category, and I think what Zespri is doing in the gold kiwi is pretty remarkable, and it’s growing some strong momentum,” Caia says.
“So we went on a bit of a search, a bit of an expedition over the last few years, seeing what was out there in kiwi genetics, and came across this one in New Zealand and had a few meetings with them and got on the ground running. We’re pretty happy with what we’ve seen.”
The agreement gives Grape Co exclusive Australian rights to the premium gold-fleshed variety, with the company planning to license production to growers in selected regions around the country. Although the company is already well known in table grapes, Caia says the move into kiwifruit represents a significant expansion. H14 has advantages in not needing hydrogen cyanamide, which makes it environmentally sustainable and requires only half the chilling hours of other kiwifruit varieties. It’s also very easy to grow.
© GrapeCo Australia
When asked about the company’s plans for the category, Caia says the rollout will begin with local production in key growing regions through licensed growers.
“The plan is to initially grow the gold kiwifruit variety, gradually expanding through licensed production across key growing regions in Australia,” he says.
Asked whether the project represented a significant step for the business, Caia responds: “Absolutely, I’m genuinely excited about it.”
The decision to focus on gold kiwifruit was deliberate, with the company believing the variety delivers a superior eating experience compared with traditional green kiwifruit.
“We are committed to gold because we believe it delivers a better flavour, eating quality, and overall consumer experience than traditional green kiwifruit. It also sits within the growing superfruit category, with strong consumer appeal driven by its nutritional profile and health benefits. We’re really pleased with what we’ve developed so far, and now the focus shifts to the commercial and farming side as we work towards bringing it to market.”
Rather than pursuing rapid expansion immediately, the company plans to take a measured approach to growth.
“We won’t scale up too aggressively from day one. The plan is to start with enough production to supply retailers at a commercial level, then evaluate performance and consumer response over a two- to three-year period before gradually increasing volumes over time,” Caia says.
The new variety is expected to sit within the company’s established Helloo™ branding platform, although the final branding direction is still being refined.
“We may give it a slight twist, but it will definitely remain backed by the Helloo brand.”
The company also recognises that producing premium-quality fruit locally will be essential to competing with imported New Zealand products.
“At the end of the day, it’s got to have good eating quality, and if we can tick those boxes, there’s definitely potential,” Caia says. “I think being locally grown is going to be another advantage, so if that all works out and it’s a good piece of fruit, I think it’s got some merit to it.”
Early trials are expected across multiple regions, including Tasmania and parts of Western Australia, with further testing planned outside traditional kiwifruit-growing climates.
“We’ll be looking at Tasmania, parts of WA, and then we’ll obviously be trialling some stuff in less obvious regions,” Caia says. “There’s definitely plenty of demand, and it’s a growing category.”
For more information:
Megan Para
GrapeCo Australia
Tel: +61 3 5048 5811
[email protected]
www.grapecoaustralia.com.au