First shipment of record Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit crop sets sail for Japan and Korea

The MV Kakariki docked at the Port of Tauranga. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services

The first shipment of what is expected to be a record season of New Zealand-grown Zespri kiwifruit is now en route to Asia, with China set to try their red variety for the first time.

The fruit is aboard the MV Kakariki, the second of three new specialised reefer vessels built by Fresh Carriers to ship New Zealand-grown kiwifruit to Zespri's Asian markets, with the ship expected to complete its maiden voyage in early April.

Zespri's chief global supply officer Alastair Hulbert said MV Kakariki was the first of 57 planned charter reefer vessels under Zespri's shipping programme this season, up from the 49 charter vessels used last season.

This season will see five sailings to north Europe, 12 to the Mediterranean and 40 to Zespri's Asian markets. Zespri also expected to send around 18,000 containers of kiwifruit.

"We're expecting to supply around 177 million trays of kiwifruit this season, or approximately 700,000 tonnes, which will be a record-breaking crop of New Zealand grown Zespri kiwifruit," Hulbert said.

Zespri Red variety of kiwifruit. Photo / File

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"Our latest forecasts indicate we could potentially reach 100m trays of Zespri SunGold kiwifruit this season which would be a significant milestone for the industry and reflects the growing popularity of the variety since its commercialisation 10 years ago.

"We're also excited to be providing consumers in China with their first opportunity to try Zespri Red Kiwifruit."

The red variety will be available in New Zealand stores shortly, with the first shipments scheduled to arrive in Singapore, Japan and China in early April.

With this season's harvest now under way across all growing regions in New Zealand, Hulbert said the wider kiwifruit industry was again working hard to ensure it could safely pick, pack and ship another delicious crop of Zespri kiwifruit.

"There has been a tremendous effort from everyone in the kiwifruit industry to respond to the ongoing challenges posed by Covid-19 and our focus continues to be on safely delivering another great-tasting crop.

"We'll again be embracing enhanced hygiene and safety protocols throughout the supply chain to make sure consumers in our markets around the world can still enjoy our fresh and healthy fruit."

Hulbert confirmed that while Zespri was closely monitoring the global shipping situation, it was well placed to mitigate any risks associated with port and container congestion.

"This season we've increased the number of charter vessels we're using, providing an additional 47,500 pallets of reefer capacity.

"The use of our reefer vessels, in combination with our refrigerated containers, is providing extra flexibility on when we ship our fruit," Hulbert said.

"As we start the delivery of this season's New Zealand-grown kiwifruit, we'll continue to work closely with our long-term port and shipping partners to ensure our fruit is reaching consumers in premium condition."