New Zealand Avocados on Show Across Asia This Month

New Zealand Avocados on Show Across Asia This Month

TAURANGA, Tuesday 7 October 2014: New Zealand’s biggest ever avocado season is now underway and the industry is staging three significant events across Asia this month.

New Zealand Avocado will showcase new season fruit to high profile chefs, influential media and consumers in Japan, Singapore and India during October.

Jen Scoular, Chief Executive of New Zealand Avocado, says the industry’s new Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programme with the Ministry for Primary Industries aims to triple productivity to 12 tonnes per hectare and quadruple industry returns to $280 million by 2023.

“Increasing our exports to Asia is a significant part of that plan, and we are involved in a series of events in key markets to raise the profile of amazing New Zealand avocados.”

The first event, held last week, saw up to 80 Japanese media and trade sample fresh and healthy dishes such as avocado and potato croquettes and avocado cheesecake at the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo.

Japanese model and beauty journalist Sakura and well-respected nutritionist and author Erica Angyal took part in a talk show at the event, highlighting the health and beauty attributes of avocados.

“These women are very influential and Japanese consumers pay close attention to their advice. Erica has over 70,000 Facebook fans and her subsequent social media posts about New Zealand Avocados are a huge coup for us.”

The second event, organised by Singapore’s national health board to promote healthy living, was held on October 4th & 5th. New Zealand Avocado ambassador and Masterchef winner, Nadia Lim, shared her secrets on how to create healthy and delicious avocado dishes at the popular annual event’s Nutrition Zone.

“Singaporeans are being encouraged to embrace healthy options so it’s the perfect chance for New Zealand Avocado and AVANZA Ltd (who collectively market most of our avocado exports to Asia) to show consumers why they should choose our fruit.”

The third event, on 10th October, will be held at the New Zealand High Commission in New Delhi, India.

Chefs from the nation’s leading hotels, including Indian celebrity chef Kunal Kupar, will join media and guests of MFAT and NZTE to sample mouth-watering avocado dishes.

“Chef Kupar is a big draw card in India,” explains Tony Ponder, Vice Chair of NZ Avocado and Director of Avanza. “He is one of their most well-known restaurateurs and is a host and judge on MasterChef India. He loves New Zealand and his endorsement of New Zealand avocados offers huge credibility to our product.”

These three events follow New Zealand Avocado’s successful participation at Asia Fruit Logistica last month. The Hong Kong event is Asia’s leading fresh fruit and vegetable trade show, attracting 7000 trade buyers and visitors from more than 60 different countries.

Scoular says New Zealand aims to become the avocado supplier of choice throughout Asia. Raising awareness among buyers, suppliers and service providers across the fast-growing region is key to achieving that goal.

“There is growing global demand for premium, safe and healthy produce. We are positioning our industry to take advantage of that by emphasizing the pristine environment in which New Zealand avocados are grown, and the amazing attributes from a nutrition and versatility perspective,” Scoular says.

As well as a significant New Zealand market, avocados are also exported to Australia, USA, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and most recently, India. But Scoular says there is enormous potential to increase sales further.

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