Chief executive Dan Mathieson told Hort News that this is particularly encouraging given the trauma the industry has gone through in the past few years – with adverse weather events, labour problems and Covid-19. He says with the fruit quality issues sorted, Zespri now has good quality fruit flowing into markets and the demand is strong.

He says China has been a standout market and is going from strength-to-strength with consumers looking for healthy and nutritious food.

“The Zespri brand is a very trusted source of health and nutrition and is much sought after in the Chinese market.”

Mathieson says they are also seeing very good demand and performance from other markets such as Europe – which he describes as a star performer. He says the news for Zespri right across the Asia Pacific region is positive for both the Sun- Gold, Zespri Green and the organic varieties. He also points to Vietnam as another market that is doing well.

“One other pleasing market for us has been North America. This is a market we have been investing in a big way in the last five or six years,” Mathieson told Hort News. “We are seeing good growth in both our Sun- Gold, Green and Organics in that market. We see very good growth opportunities there over the coming years as the volumes return in 2024 and 2025.”

Mathieson concedes that the last two years for growers has been very hard, with many having their crops impacted by the frosts or other weather events.

However, he hopes this latest news with the recovery progressing, fruit quality improving, better prices for the coming season will help instil some confidence in growers. He adds that if the promised better and more stable weather patterns occur, there is a likelihood that there will be better yields in the future and, with it, better returns to growers.