The European import kiwi season has just started following an intermittent supply gap from New Zealand fruit to European fruit. “We have steady supply year over year but our demand is increasing. Consumers cannot get enough of Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit so we are working to bring more New Zealand supply in 2024 to meet the high consumer demand,” says Darren LaMothe of Zespri US, noting that European supply is used to extend the New Zealand kiwi season for SunGold.
For Zespri, its SunGold Kiwi is currently coming from Italy with small Zespri green kiwi volumes coming from Greece to Canada. “The weather conditions throughout the harvest have been optimal in all regions across Europe and it’s set to be another good harvest from our growers,” says LaMothe.
Holiday demand
That supply is meeting the anticipated high demand for SunGold fruit particularly. LaMothe says this variety continues to drive the growth in the category, accounting for 46 percent of category gains when it’s in season. It also continues to bring new users into the category. “We are also preparing for the holiday demand and will come back ready to plan with our retail partners for the 2024 season which will kick off in May next year,” he says.
To further help fuel demand in 2024, Zespri will continue with its Taste the Obsession campaign through new channels and executions. In 2023, this campaign, via paid and earned media, influencers, sampling activations and shopper programs, garnered more than one billion impressions. “For 2024, we are excited to plan with our retail partners to create eye-catching displays in-store to capture shoppers' attention and entice them to try our tropical-sweet Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit,” says LaMothe.
Looking ahead, LaMothe adds that its 2024 supply estimates show a positive trend. “This raises optimism for increased volume in the upcoming New Zealand kiwifruit season. Our supply teams are actively monitoring favorable weather conditions and working diligently to serve global markets,” he notes.
For more information:
Jill Netzel
Zespri
Tel: +1 (818) 718-8084
[email protected]
https://www.zespri.com