CHINA - They say mimicry is the highest form of flattery, but when it comes to fresh fruit and veg, nothing beats the top-quality flavor associated with the real deal brand labels. This week, Chinese authorities discovered 120 trays of counterfeit kiwifruit claiming to be Zespri-grade at the Zhoungpu Wholesale Fruit Market in the south eastern province of Xiamen.
“The fact that we face issues with others counterfeiting our product highlights the strong brand position Zespri has in China and across the Asia region,” Ben Hughes, Zespri’s General Manager, told me. “So far, counterfeiting hasn’t been a significant issue for Zespri in North America.”
Reportedly, the kiwifruit product trays were attempting to fly under the radar as “Zeopri” products, with the fruit itself and the logo on the boxes bearing something very similar to the original in order to disguise it as Zespri product.
“The recent interception of 120 trays of counterfeit product in the Zhoungpu Wholesale Fruit Market is a great example of [our] partnership [with Chinese government officials] in action and we appreciate the support of China authorities in taking immediate action,” Holly Brown, mainland China General Manager, said according to New Zealand source Stuff.
As one of Zespri’s largest markets, right in line with Japan, Zespri is currently expecting to sell more than 25 million trays, or $500 million worth, of its kiwifruit in China this season alone. That’s a heckuva lot of fruit, and as we all know and love the sweet deliciousness of Zespri kiwifruit, it’s no wonder that someone somewhere wanted to tap into that New Zealand gold.
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