New Zealand gears up for a record kiwifruit season
New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry soared to record sales in the 2024/25 season, and if forecasts go as projected, the country is on track to harvest an even larger crop in the coming year, says the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
According to the agency, Zespri, New Zealand’s leading kiwifruit producer, is expected to harvest approximately 800,000 metric tons in the 2025/26 market year, a one percent increase over last year and the highest yield on record.
USDA data is supported by industry, and New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries reports that attribute higher yields to more SunGold and RubyRed vines reaching maturity.
Kiwifruit varieties spurring the yield increase
The primary driver of the sector’s growth is the expansion of SunGold, the most commonly planted variety, making up over 8,000 acres. The cultivar is grown under strict Zespri licensing, using both conventional and organic methods.
Growers are also benefiting from increased seasonal labor availability and favorable weather, the report states. Government public research institution, Earth Sciences New Zealand, expects sustained La Niña conditions leading into the harvest, which favors the fruit's regions, since the plant’s vines thrive in frost-free areas with sufficient water.
This past season provided relief for New Zealand’s nearly 3,000 kiwifruit growers. Difficulties stemmed from two difficult years marked by labor shortages and fruit-quality issues due to adverse weather, including a warm winter in 2023 that prevented vines from receiving necessary winter chilling.
According to the USDA, New Zealand’s plantings grew at a compound annual rate of 1.4 percent from 2013 to 2026. However, over the past two years, plantings slowed as growers faced reduced availability of license insurance for new varieties and land-use changes due to the removal of older green varieties in some regions.
Exports skyrocketed in 2024/25 as well, leaping 44 percent above the previous year’s total.
Kiwifruit is among New Zealand’s most valuable fresh produce exports, contributing over $2.6 billion to the country’s total fresh fruit exports on a Free on Board (FOB) basis. 32 percent of New Zealand's exports were shipped to the European Union, the largest market, followed by China (27 percent), Japan (14 percent), and the United States (six percent).
New Zealand is the world’s second-largest kiwifruit producer after China. However, it accounts for 65 percent of global export volumes, followed by the European Union (16 percent), Chile (14 percent), and China (three percent).
*All images are referential.
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