Early New Zealand Kiwifruit Harvest Ushers in Promising Year

According to a report by New Zealand’s Rural News, the country’s kiwifruit growers recently began their earliest harvest season on record. This season’s first batch of RubyRed kiwifruit was picked from an orchard near Edgecumbe in the Bay of Plenty.

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated stated that this year’s production is expected to exceed 200 million trays. Meanwhile, earlier this month, Zespri released its final forecast for the 2024/25 season. Driven by strong market demand and record-breaking production, the company is poised to achieve its long-standing global revenue goal of 4.5 billion New Zealand dollars (US$2.5 billion).

Except for Green kiwifruit, the projected per-tray returns for all varieties have increased compared with the November forecast. Per-hectare returns for both Green and Organic Green kiwifruit have reached record highs, while those for SunGold have also improved from the November estimate. The projected returns for RubyRed kiwifruit remain stable on both a per-tray and per-hectare basis.

The first shipment of RubyRed kiwifruit will soon be available on New Zealand’s domestic market and selected international markets, followed closely by SunGold and Green. This season’s expected production of more than 200 million trays is set to beat last year’s record of 190 million trays, with each tray holding approximately 30 pieces. The peak harvest period for New Zealand kiwifruit typically runs from mid-April to June.

Colin Bond, CEO of New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated, expressed enthusiasm for the current season, echoing the optimism of growers: “While my thoughts are with those Tasman and Whakatane growers who received significant hail damage at the end of last December, overall growers have experienced a great lead up to harvest, with ideal sun and little wind, to produce excellent kiwifruit.”

Since its launch, the RubyRed variety has garnered significant attention. This season, Zespri expects over 3 million trays (approximately 10,800 metric tons) of RubyRed to reach the market. Exports to mainland China are forecast to increase substantially, exceeding 1 million trays (approximately 3,500 metric tons). Shipments to Japan are also projected to grow to 1 million trays. For the first time, RubyRed kiwifruit will be exported to the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and the Pacific Islands.

Image: Zespri

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.