Green remains ‘backbone’ of kiwifruit industry
With returns last season down significantly largely due to quality costs, growers of Green kiwifruit have faced tough times of late, says Zespri Chief Operating Officer Jason Te Brake
He says reduced returns have put a number of growers under pressure, compounded by the fact that this year’s yields were also down.
“Our latest August 2023/24 OGR forecast per tray for Green was $8.10 which is an improvement on last year, and we’re hopeful that our November forecast will reflect the hard work that’s been undertaken right across the industry to return more value to growers.”
Te Brake says given the average age of a grower is the mid-60s, there are instances where growers want to retain valuable land but do not want to continue orcharding and for them, removing kiwifruit is a better option.
“However, we aren’t seeing a lot of green growers leave the industry or remove their orchards.
“Green remains the backbone of our industry and still has a really strong following. There is a significant amount of work underway looking at how we can maximise Green returns, with Zespri participating in NZKGI’s Green Symposia which took place in November in Te Puke and Katikati.
“The focus of the symposia was on Green performance, with a particular interest in deepening industry understanding of the profitability of the category. We’re also continuing to invest in exploring new green cultivars that might be more climate resilient and which deliver higher yields for growers and a great taste experience for consumers, along with health benefits.”
Further lifting the quality of export kiwifruit is a central part of the 2024 season planning work the industry has underway as it plans for a much larger crop, and likely the biggest year-on-year growth in volume, says Te Brake.
“As in 2023, it’s going to take all of us doing our part across the supply chain to continue to strengthen our systems and processes, so we build again after the positive changes we have made this year, in order to deliver more value back to growers.”
Early indications are that there will be a good level of growth for both Zespri Green and SunGold kiwifruit in 2024 as the industry bounces back from the challenges of the last two seasons, Te Brake says. However he cautions that as a primary industry, kiwifruit is still subject to weather-related challenges.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand kiwifruit season is now complete and while it’s been another challenging growing season, demand has been strong and quality is up on last year, says Te Brake.
“This reflects the hard work the industry has put in to lift quality this season, right through from harvest to presenting our fruit to customers and consumers.
“It’s been pleasing to hear customers call out the improved quality they’ve seen this season and share their hope that we’ll be able to provide more fruit next season.”