Rats on board freighter delay kiwi season in Zesbury.

The European kiwi season is delayed. The first ship from New Zealand arrived in Zeebrugge last week. Traces of rats can be seen in the fruit holds on the ship. The fruit was then placed in quarantine on board the ship while the shipment was examined further. “This results in all affected fruit being identified and destroyed,” said Jason T. Bryk, Zespri's chief operating officer.

Zespri confirms that this is the first time it has had to deal with insects on board ships. “We have a proven track record of over twenty years of supplying only the highest quality fruit, and this is the first time in over twenty years that we have had this problem, and we are working with our shipping partner and insurance companies to identify the cause and establish processes,” says T Bryk. Additional information to prevent this from happening again.

As a result, Zespri's kiwifruit season in Europe has been postponed by a week. The second charter ship will arrive in Zeebrugge on Saturday. Those fruits will be checked first before being delivered to the customers. “We are now working with our customers and distribution partners to ensure we are able to start the European sales season as soon as possible to meet strong consumer demand,” says T Bryk.