M1S3 – DUCK Persimmon Fruit

Solution

1. Which are the specific features I need to consider before making my investment plan?

• Selection and adaptation of storing rooms for persimmon: chambers with a temperature of 20º, an atmosphere controlled with 5,000 ppm of ethanol and a relative humidity of 90% and organisation of production accordingly as the fruits need to be stored for at least 16 hours.
• Important to check growing times and numbers of (Sharon type) persimmon per tree and year
• At least, the contract of the collectors and processors is the same as the collection of persimmon is in coincidence (partly, up to the end of January) with the collection period of the clementines for which the company needs to see how many workers will need to hire to also cope with the collection and process of persimmon (from 15 september to 30 January).

2. Are the fruit regulations of persimmon similar or equal to those of oranges and clementines?

Yes. The company has all these in place to cope with the production of oranges and clementines.

3. I already have packaging systems and machines for oranges and clementines: are new packages, and machinery, needed for persimmon?

For persimmon, it is advised to use similar packages to oranges and clementines (cardboard, wood and plastic) but keep them to a smaller weight:  from 3 to 10 Kg. It is also important to make sure that in the packaging of persimmons we do not use the meshes we use for oranges and clementines. Persimmon does not have the crust as hard as oranges and a mesh could produce friction in the persimmon rind while in transit. Due to this, it should be noted that in this step a control of the quality on samples is crucial to make sure the quality of persimmon is checked so as to assure it is optimal for consumption.

4. Is it necessary a traditional campaign or a more focused social networking and ecommerce campaign?

Social networking and ecommerce campaign. This strategy makes the fruit company closer to their consumers knowing their opinion and likes about their product, particularly if they want to introduce a new product. The company can run campaigns and promotions that can be based on their normal production of oranges and clementines to also introduce persimmon.

5. Instead of What should the new advertisement look like?

It should be more focused on the new features I want to advertise about the fruit: The yellow-orange persimmon fruit is an excellent source of fiber, Vitamin A (it contains carotene and cryptoxanthin, both with provitamin A activity, very interesting nutritionally) and a high level of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium and the mineral manganese. Persimmons are fat-free and are a good source of healthy carbohydrates and natural sugar. They have an antioxidant activity with beneficial effects, as they decrease the risk of certain degenerative diseases (cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer and neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s etc.).

6. Instead of What should the new product look like? What implications have the different colours and sizes of persimmon for my production?

The average weight of a persimmonis 400 grams and a diameter of 9 ms ranging with the different types of measures and colours. It is advised that the boxes have the pieces of fruit as similar as possible between the (both colour and size).

Presentation