Zespri’s final charter shipment of the 2026 New Zealand kiwifruit season has departed the Port of Tauranga for Shanghai.
The vessel, Whero, carries more than 1.7 million trays, or 6,120 tonnes, of Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit for consumers in China. It’s Zespri's 57th charter vessel, helping deliver a record crop of around 225 million trays this season, with final container shipments departing New Zealand in the coming weeks.
CEO Jason Te Brake said the Whero's sailing marks an important milestone as the industry enters the final stages of the New Zealand season.
“The departure of our final charter is an opportunity to recognise the significant effort from growers, post-harvest, logistics partners and our teams around the world to deliver another large crop to consumers in more than 50 markets,” said Te Brake.
Sales have been encouraging in Europe, while North America continues to perform well. In Greater China, the in-market teams worked hard to capitalise on the recent Mid-Autumn Festival, which saw strong sales, with fruit from the Whero due to arrive in market in the coming weeks.
Despite a more challenging global trading environment and a more competitive fruit category, demand for Zespri Kiwifruit has remained strong across many key markets, helping deliver strong value back to growers and shareholders.
“The strong demand we've seen this season reflects the value consumers are placing on high-quality, nutritious fruit and the efforts of our teams and partners across the supply chain,” added Te Brake.
“It has also been supported by the rollout of our new global brand platform, Grown for Good, across our core markets, which champions natural nutrition and the role fruit can play in supporting healthier lives.”
With the New Zealand season drawing to a close, Zespri is focused on ensuring a smooth transition to its Northern Hemisphere-grown fruit and preparing for the 2027 season.
Zespri expects around 36 million trays from its Northern Hemisphere growing regions this season. This includes 28 million trays of Zespri SunGold and another eight million trays of Zespri Green Kiwifruit, with the transition to the Northern Hemisphere SunGold fruit underway in Europe in the coming weeks.
“Working with our Northern Hemisphere partners to provide our consumers with a 12-month supply is a key part of our strategy for maximising long-term value back to growers.”
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