Smaller than expected 2013 kiwifruit harvest

This year's gold kiwifruit crop is likely to be even smaller than was predicted by Zespri before the harvest began.

Zespri chief executive Lain Jager told the Bay of Plenty Times in March the gold harvest was expected to be 13 to 15 million trays, about half as many as in 2011.

The gold kiwifruit harvest has now finished and while numbers were still being finalised, Zespri spokeswoman Rachel Lynch said volumes were expected to be 12 to 13 million trays.

Gold kiwifruit volumes were expected to return to 2011 levels in future years, however it would take a number of years because the more Psa-resistant variety Gold3 was still bedding in.