Friday, 09 August 2024 09:56

NZ kiwifruit holding ground in global markets

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Zespri says after one of the strongest-ever starts to the 2024 season, it is now amid the summer fruit season where it traditionally sees more competition. Zespri says after one of the strongest-ever starts to the 2024 season, it is now amid the summer fruit season where it traditionally sees more competition.

The fight for global customers by fruit producers and marketers is on.

And New Zealand kiwifruit marketer, Zespri says after one of the strongest-ever starts to the 2024 season, it is now amid the summer fruit season where it traditionally sees more competition.

Fruits like peaches, berries, melons and grapes are more available in volume and at lower prices than expected in the global market around this time. In the US market, NZ kiwifruit is also facing competition from green kiwifruit grown in Chile.

However, Zespri reports that top quality kiwifruit produced by NZ growers remains in high demand.

Around 75% of this season’s largest ever crop of more than 190 million trays of kiwifruit from New Zealand have now been shipped to Zespri’s customers around the world.

Chief executive Jason Te Brake says after a positive start to the season, Zespri’s teams in market are focused on driving sales and preserving value for growers through the competitive summer fruit season.

“There has been significant effort from the industry to deliver a fantastic crop of high-quality fruit which allowed us to capitalise on early season sales opportunities.

“We’re now in a period that is traditionally more challenging on the back of the arrival of summer fruit, which is something we see every year.

“This is a period where we typically experience strong competition from the likes of peaches, berries, melons and grapes which are more available in volume and at lower prices than expected.

“While strong competition has seen sales rates in most of our major markets ease back from the record highs we’ve seen in the early parts of the season, feedback from our customers has been clear that they have huge confidence in the quality of our fruit this season, and they want more of it.”

Te Brake says Zespri’s teams have been well prepared with season planning focused on getting the season off to a strong start before hitting the summer fruit period. 

“With summer fruit experiencing tough growing conditions this season, it’s likely to be off shelves earlier with competition expected to subside in the next month and we’re already seeing signs of this starting to ease in some of our key markets.

“This season’s fruit quality has us well placed to close out the season strongly in the remaining months as this summer fruit exits the market, capitalising on clearer space in market to support returns to our growers.

“Zespri and our partners remain focused on delivering a record crop, with our teams in market executing some outstanding campaigns to drive sales rates and deliver the season well.”

More like this

Helping develop, grow markets

While NZ Avocado is not directly involved in selling fruit, it does have a significant role in supporting exporters to develop and grow markets.

Avocados bounce back!

After two challenging years, the country’s avocado growers are quietly optimistic that a good year is in the making.

Ready for a new challenge

After spending 20 years running her own successful environmental consultancy in Central Otago, Kate Scott is ready for a new challenge.

Featured

New UHT plant construction starts

Construction is underway at Fonterra’s new UHT cream plant at Edendale, Southland following a groundbreaking ceremony recently.

National

Call for consistent rules

Listen, learn and lead - those are the top priorities next year for HortNZ's new chief executive, Kate Scott.

Boost for hort exports

The horticulture sector is a big winner from recent free trade deals sealed with the Gulf states, says Associate Agriculture…

Machinery & Products

Sorting unwashed potatoes made easy

Downs, a leader in potato reception, automated sorting, and storage, has introduced its new high-throughput optical sorter for unwashed potatoes…

Jumbo X saves time and money

A winner of a prestigious ‘Technical Innovations 2024’ award by FederUnacoma at the EIMA show in Italy, the Maschio Jumbo…

NH unveils specialty tractor

New Holland recently showcased its new-generation T4.120 F specialty tractor, giving New Zealand customers a closer look at the winner…

Combining track and tyre

While the last fifty years has seen massive evolution and development of the humble tractor tyre, the last two decades…

Croplands goes nuts with Nelson

Croplands and Nelson Manufacturing Company Inc, a California-based manufacturer of air-blast sprayers, has announced a new distribution partnership to deliver…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Dark ages

OPINION: Before we all let The Green Party have at it with their 'bold' emissions reduction plan, the Hound thought…

Rhymes with?

OPINION: The Feds' latest banking survey shows that bankers are even less popular with farmers than they used to be,…

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter