Zespri global sales top $5 billion for 2024–25 season amid strong demand
Zespri says global sales for the 2024-25 season topped $5 billion on the back of strong demand and market returns.
It’s early days yet, but there are promising signs of it being another good year for kiwifruit.
Zespri’s chief grower and alliances officer, Dave Courtney told Rural News that the feedback from growers on the state of the vines is very positive.
He says towards the end of last year, flower numbers and pollination was looking good. He’s heard nothing that would suggest there were any problems.
This news comes on the back of a good season for Zespri, which for the first time saw more gold kiwifruit sold in the market that the traditional green variety. Courtney says that the higher price paid in the market for gold meant that grower returns were better than in past years.
And with more gold being planted, all being well, returns to growers will continue to increase.
“Last season saw volumes slightly down on the previous season and the size of fruit was also smaller. But the quality was better and the season started earlier which allowed us to put strong volumes into the marketplace and that continued throughout the year.
Courtney says Zespri plans to release more licenses for Gold this year and for the coming two years. He says there is good demand for the fruit based on market signals and Zespri has to be nimble enough to manage the growth in demand. But he concedes that there will come a point when this may slow.
Courtney adds that work is also being done in the plant breeding programme to develop a green kiwi fruit which is ‘ready to eat’ when it reaches supermarket shelves.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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