Zespri sells 95% of NZ kiwifruit crop, 11 million trays remain

Summary

Zespri has sold 95 percent of its New Zealand kiwifruit crop, with about 11 million trays remaining. The company expects each fruit category to be largely sold out by the end of November in what is its largest season on record. In a grower update, Jason outlined export market sales progress, fruit quality concerns and an upcoming grower meeting.

He said that despite a challenging global economy, increased competition and pressure from softer fruit, market teams are working to ensure a strong finish to the New Zealand season. In Greater China, about 93 percent of forecast sales have been sold, and the team is focused on maintaining momentum in the final stage of the season. China is a key focus in the coming weeks as consumer demand slows in October after the Mid-Autumn Festival peak, and customers have also reported poorer fruit quality.

Commentary

As the single export marketer for New Zealand's kiwifruit industry, Zespri's sales performance directly reflects global demand for New Zealand horticultural products. This season's 95 percent completion rate looks solid, but the target of selling the remaining 11 million trays by the end of November still faces pressure, especially in China. China is Zespri's largest export market, typically accounting for about a quarter of its global sales, but slower demand after the Mid-Autumn Festival and fruit quality issues may affect the pace of destocking in the final stage.

For NZ SME owners, this dynamic is a reminder that exporters relying on Chinese festive consumption need to manage the risk of post-holiday demand fluctuations, for example by diversifying markets or adjusting product specifications to balance seasonal swings. On the competitive landscape, global kiwifruit supply is increasing, with gold varieties from Northern Hemisphere producers such as Italy and Greece competing with Zespri in different seasons, while domestically grown Chinese kiwifruit is also improving in quality and could erode New Zealand fruit's market share over the long term. Zespri's response includes strengthening brand marketing and variety patent protection, but smaller exporters may not have the same resources and need to focus more on supply chain efficiency and cost control.

In addition, the softer fruit issue reflects challenges in post-harvest handling or transport, which could create demand from cold chain logistics providers for more precise temperature control and faster turnaround solutions. Zespri expects to be largely sold out by the end of November, which if achieved would ease cash flow pressure on growers, but this season's profit remains constrained by rising costs under global inflation and price volatility.

Keywords: Zespri, New Zealand kiwifruit, sales progress, Greater China, fruit quality, export markets, season finish, 11 million trays

AI illustration on MiDeer Observer

Source: FreshPlaza