New Zealand kiwifruit harvest kicks off
New Zealand’s 2025 kiwifruit harvest has started with the first fruit picked in the Bay of Plenty, marking the earliest ever harvest.
This marks a 20% ($524 million) increase on the same period in 2023.
Stats NZ international trade manager Viki Ward says kiwifruit export values for the season so far are the highest they have ever been.
“The kiwifruit export season is typically from March to November,” Ward says.
Gold kiwifruit exports were $2.4 billion, up $457 million (24%) from the year ended August 2023, driven largely by an increase in quality (up 23%).
Green kiwifruit were valued at $737 million, up $67 million (9.9%) over the same period an increase driven by a price increase (up 9%).
Typically, gold kiwifruit have a higher unit price than green.
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“Growers in New Zealand are increasingly planting gold, and now red, kiwifruit, to capture greater export value in markets like China and Japan,” Ward says.
The top destination for gold kiwifruit is China, while the top destination for green is the European Union.
