New Zealand has picked more than 225 million trays of kiwifruit this year, breaking last year’s record of 216 million trays. The harvest included red, gold and green kiwifruit. Five million trays of red kiwifruit were picked early in February. Close to 162 million trays of SunGold kiwifruit are being shipped from New Zealand coolstores to overseas markets.
The season was harder for green kiwifruit growers. About 58 million trays of green kiwifruit were harvested, but the fruit took longer to mature on the vines. This meant less green fruit reached supermarkets early in the season. Seeka, one of the companies involved, packed more than 45 million trays, which was slightly fewer than the year before.
Seeka chief executive Michael Franks said the green kiwifruit crop had more quality problems than expected. He said a storm during an important part of the growing season may have affected the fruit’s shape and size. Zespri chief executive Jason Te Brake said demand remained strong in Europe and North America. Grower groups say New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry has a bright future, with production expected to keep growing over the next five years.
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