Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Zespri anticipates strong kiwifruit demand

Updated at 8:38 pm on 12 March 2010

Kiwifruit marketer Zespri is expecting growers to produce similar volumes to last year, although it anticipates none of the problems with selling the fruit given the brighter economic situation in its key international markets.

In the early part of last year's harvest season, which traditionally starts in March, the company asked growers to leave up to a million trays of fruit unharvested, to manage the supply of export kiwifruit and protect prices.

But it reversed that decision when heavy hail caused extensive damage to crops in some areas, which effectively reduced the amount of export-quality fruit that could be sold.

Zespri's director of corporate and grower services, Carol Ward, says growing conditions have been favourable in most areas, although the drought in Northland means orchards there are producing smaller fruit.

She says while the green kiwifruit variety is, on average, larger than last year's crop and the gold fruit smaller, the company is not anticipating any difficulty selling it, as there is strong demand.

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