New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc (NZKGI), which represents the country's kiwifruit growers, says the season is tracking well, with most of the fruit already shipped to markets.
Chief executive Colin Bond said all Red kiwifruit has been sold, while the majority of Gold and Green volumes have also been exported. "The feedback from the market has been extremely positive around fruit quality this year, and they are very excited about what the rest of the season holds," he said.
Bond noted that returns are expected to be close to record levels for some smaller product groups, such as organic. For Sun Gold, returns are described as very strong, though not at record levels. Green growers are expected to see improved returns compared to recent difficult years.
He added that while the season is progressing well, external challenges remain. "In China, for example, we are seeing a slight drop in consumer confidence and similarly in Japan. But a big positive is the fact that kiwifruit has a diversified market portfolio, and an example of this is that Europe is going extremely well," Bond said.
He said the overall sector outlook remains strong despite the headwinds. "There is no such thing as a perfect season, but all the messages they are hearing out of Zespri are positive," he added.
At the orchard level, Bond said growers are already looking ahead. "This is the time of the year when kiwifruit orchardists start thinking about late frosts and setting themselves up for a good 2026 crop," he said. Winter pruning has now been completed for most crops, and Red kiwifruit growers are preparing for bud break.
Source: Rural News
