Zespri International, the world's largest marketer of kiwifruit, is gearing up for a highly competitive summer fruit season.

Approximately 75% of this season’s record-breaking crop—over 190 million trays of New Zealand kiwifruit—has already been shipped to Zespri’s customers worldwide.

In a press statement, Zespri celebrated one of the strongest starts to the 2024 season, emphasizing their focus on driving sales and maintaining market value for the remainder of the summer.

Zespri's CEO, Jason Te Brake, noted that this season is more challenging due to the influx of other summer fruits in the market.

"This is a period where we typically experience strong competition from the likes of peaches, berries, melons, and grapes," he added. "Which are more available in volume and at lower prices than expected."

In addition to domestic summer fruits, the release noted increased competition within the kiwifruit category, particularly due to a rise in Chilean green kiwifruit volumes in the U.S. market.

Despite the palpable competition, Zespri says it is well-prepared.

“With summer fruit experiencing tough growing conditions this season," he added, "it’s likely to be off shelves earlier with competition expected to subside in the next month and we’re already seeing signs of this starting to ease in some of our key markets."