Record Kiwifruit Harvest Brings Optimism, but Green Growers Face Profitability Challenges
Signs for the 2026-27 kiwifruit crop look good, but there are still some challenges for growers – especially those who produce green kiwifruit.
That’s the message from the CEO of the Kiwifruit Growers Association Colin Bond.
He says while it is still too early to fully understand how significant the event will be, there is a lot of fruit hanging exposed to the elements.
He says the picking of Gold not yet halfway through and Green is only beginning.
Colin Bond says growers will need to ensure they have plans in place to reduce the impact where possible.
This threat of damage to the nations kiwifruit crop from cyclone Vaianu comes just weeks after Zespri was predicting another large crop of 220 million trays to sell and that grower returns are likely to be up this season.
