New Zealand firm aims to dazzle with premium apple

Selling gourmet food to China isn't easy business, given the country's rich agriculture resources and profound culinary tradition. One winning recipe is to know local people's preferences and cater offerings to their palates while preserving an authentic taste.

That's what drives Mr Apple, a New Zealand organic apple grower, to breed a special variety called Dazzle to quench the appetite of Chinese, who summarize the traits of the premium fruit as "red, crunchy, sweet, and medium-sized".

According to Milli Wang, who represents the brand in China, the Dazzle variety is getting a soft launch during the China International Import Expo as the brand rides the consumption upgrade boom sweeping across the country's middle-to high-income earners.

"The color and flavor of Dazzle have been developed specifically for the Chinese market," Wang said. "We hope to win more brand awareness and tap into a broader range of clients."

To have a more prominent presence at the expo, Mr Apple is joining a cohort of small and medium-sized New Zealand companies represented by Primary Collaboration New Zealand, a group that helps New Zealand companies with product launches, concept promotions and networking in China.

According to CEO Kevin Parish, the purpose of the collaboration is to aid the New Zealand food and beverage sector - usually small-scale and relatively new to China - navigate the world's largest consumer market through concerted efforts, including marketing, training and resource sharing.

"The expo provides the perfect platform to support these partners while also offering the opportunity to engage with a range of potential new customers across China," Parish said. "As a collective we are working with our existing Chinese partners and the New Zealand government to showcase our natural and healthy food and beverage brands at the expo."

LandCorp Farming, a government-owned enterprise in New Zealand, will use the expo as a springboard for the debut of its dairy products in China. Jerry Liu, who represents the brand in China, said he believed the fair would "bring in potential clients across the country and help forge long-term relationships".

Silver Fern Farms, a processor and marketer of meat products, is looking to promote the concept of chilled beef by displaying a wide range of natural, grass-fed red meat products that are generally leaner and higher in key nutrients.

Claire Tan, who is responsible for marketing the brand in China, said a signing ceremony with a key partner is scheduled during the expo, and that the company is on course to penetrate deeper into retail channels as local consumers are willing to pay a premium for quality.

Also seeking to seal new deals is Rockit, which sells miniature apples in select online marketplaces and high-end retail chains.

Eric Dai, who represents the brand in China, said a meeting will be held with JD, one of China's leading e-retailers, during the expo as part of the company's effort to add two new distributors by year-end.

About 90 New Zealand companies participated in the six-day fair, according to Damon Paling, trade commissioner of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. Meanwhile, a two-week New Zealand Week kicked off on Nov 1 across seven major cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, displaying a wide range of specialties from the country.