According to New Zealand's official data agency, StatsNZ, kiwifruit exports are the highest they have ever been. The fruit exports were valued at $3.1 billion this year ending in August, an increase of $524 million, or 20%, compared to 2023. 

Gold kiwifruit exports this year were $2.4 billion, up $457 million, or 24%, from 2023. This increase was driven by a rise in volume of 23%. Green kiwifruit exports also saw an increase, driven by higher prices, of $67 million, or 9.9%, over the same period. 

Gold kiwifruit usually has a higher unit price than green. 

According to the report, growers in New Zealand are increasingly planting gold, and now red kiwifruit, to increase exports to markets like China and Japan. 

China is the top destination for gold kiwifruit, with export values to the country this year being over $770 billion, followed by the European Union with $490 billion, Japan, Korea, and the United States. 

The European Union is the highest importer of green NZ kiwifruit, with the export value this year being a little over $333 billion, followed by Japan with $140 billion, China, Korea, and the United States. 

The kiwifruit export season typically runs from March to November.

Kiwifruit is the biggest sector in New Zealand's horticulture industry. Today, 2,843 kiwifruit growers produce approximately 184 million trays for export from 13,610 productive hectares. In 2021/22 the industry was worth $2.911 billion in gross sales.