Kiwifruit Harvest Promising Despite Challenging Economy

Tirofruit, a leading New Zealand kiwifruit producer, is excited about this year's harvest prospects. After setbacks from frost and wind damage in the past two seasons, the team at Tirofruit remains focused on ensuring an efficient crop offload in hopefully kinder weather conditions.

The crops are yielding some of the best results they have seen across Tirofruit's orchards in Opotiki, Te Kaha, and Omaio. The combination of favorable weather conditions and diligent orchard management has contributed to high yields and excellent fruit quality.

This trend is reflected throughout the industry, with Zespri predicting a significant increase in production, estimating around 195 million trays compared to last year's 135 million.

Currently, approximately 30% of Tirofruits’ gold kiwifruit crops have been picked, with harvesting planned to continue until mid-May. While the crops have been slightly slower in passing their maturity tests, this can be attributed to the larger crop loadings. Tirofruit are not alone in this experience.

Tirofruit has a dedicated team of local employees, RSE workers, and seasonal employees to complete the harvest successfully. The team's camaraderie is excellent, ensuring efficient operations.

Zespri has already shipped close to 15 million trays to date. The second charter vessel has recently arrived in China, with initial indications showing that fruit quality is outstanding, demonstrating better firmness compared to last season.

The first vessel destined for Japan will arrive in the middle of this week, followed by the first European vessel docking in Zeebrugge, Belgium in two weeks' time. The first charter vessel for North America's West Coast is scheduled to depart at the end of this week. This year's Zespri Growers Tour will also focus on the Eastern States of the USA, aiming to tap into significant market potential.

Francis Pauwels, CEO of Tirofruit, says, “ I’m looking forward to bowls full of kiwifruit this year, and last week, I sampled some of the new ruby red variety—absolutely delicious!”

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