New Zealand fruit exports dominated by gold kiwifruit

Gold kiwifruit continues to dominate fruit exports in an otherwise challenging market, New Zealand's statistics department Stats NZ said on Monday.

In the year ended November 2021, gold kiwifruit made up 47 percent of total fruit export value, while green kiwifruit made up 23 percent, Stats NZ said.

Both increases were quantity driven, with prices falling compared with a year ago, it said.

Gold kiwifruit has a traditionally higher unit price than green. Since the kiwifruit season in 2016, which is typically from March to November, gold has overtaken green in terms of value. In the 2020 season, gold kiwifruit also overtook green in terms of volume, according to Stats NZ.

"While green kiwifruit continues to be in high demand, growers in New Zealand are increasingly planting gold, and now red kiwifruit, to capture greater export value in markets like China and Japan," international trade manager Alasdair Allen said in a statement.

Total fruit exports remained relatively flat, up 1.3 percent in the year ended November 2021 compared with November 2020, Allen said, adding that kiwifruit made up 71 percent of the total value of New Zealand fruit exports, while apples made up 21 percent.

China is the top export market for New Zealand apples, overtaking the European Union for the 2021 season, he said.

Apple exports fell 7.2 percent in value, with quantities down 11 percent this season, which traditionally ends in November, he added.

"It's been a challenging season for apple growers, with some adverse weather events and continued labor shortages earlier in the year contributing to lower than usual output," Allen said.