Zespri receives compensation after a rodent problem on board a cargo ship made the headlines.
The compensation claim for rodent damage to a kiwi fruit shipment has now been resolved, with the shipping cargo insurer paying Zespri, the owner of the shipment, $24.1 million.
In April of 2024, when the first kiwi fruit shipment of the season was sent to Europe, it arrived in Belgium only for importers to find signs of rodent damage. With fruit quality and food safety integral to the Zespri brand, the entire shipment was quarantined and then destroyed, being sent for use in biofuel. DNA investigations found that the mouse infestation on the ship was not of New Zealand origin, firmly placing the responsibility of the issue with the shipping company and their pest control practices.
