Zespri kiwifruit sales have doubled in India this season as more consumers become familiar with the exotic fruit that is still considered a new item for many shoppers.

Ben Hughes

New Zealand's leading fruit brand is making headway in the country with a sales jump that is predicted to continue over the next four years.

Zespri's regional market manager for the Middle East, India, Oceania and Africa, Ben Hughes, says market growth is set to accelerate further across India as more consumers become familiar with branded kiwifruit.

"Zespri sales in India have doubled this season, up from just over 400,000 trays in 2013 to around 750,000 trays in 2014," Hughes told www.freshfruitportal.com.

"Sales are set to roughly double again in the next four years, as increased volumes of the new Zespri SunGold kiwifruit come online.

"Zespri continues to work around the lack of modern retail development in this promising market by redesigning distribution and marketing support strategies including sampling to target trade customers, as well as the consumers to whom our relatively high-price, largely-unknown fruit appeals."

Associated health benefits

The Indian Economic Times recently reported that kiwifruit's growing popularity amongst Indian consumers could be linked with its associated health benefits and the public’s perception that it helps tackle dengue fever.

An article says that although there is no specific medical evidence backing up claims that vitamin C-rich kiwifruit helps sufferers of dengue fever, some people believe the fruit may increase the platelet count in the body which drops when someone is infected with the viral infection that is potentially fatal and has no vaccine.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, the incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades with more than 40% of the global population at risk. The disease is endemic in more than 100 countries including India, and the South-East Asian region is amongst the most seriously affected.

The director of Anusaya Fresh India, which supplies exotic fresh produce to five-star hotels in Mumbai, told the publication that some doctors are even recommending kiwifruit to patients with dengue fever.

However, rather than a perceived link between the fruit and dengue, Hughes believes Zespri's sales success comes down to continued marketing and promotional efforts.

"From 2006 to today, significant effort has been made to raise awareness of Zespri New Zealand kiwifruit in India and adapt our sales and marketing programs to suit the traditional sales channels.

"Targeting communications about health and taste to a select market and introducing in-market representation have been critical sea changes, significantly contributing to the growth in volume and sales value.

"The key drivers of our growth are this increased marketing and improve distribution, rather than any link to kiwifruit as a dengue fever remedy."

 www.freshfruitportal.com