After continued success amongst consumers, Zespri is expanding the production of its RubyRed kiwifruit to Italy, the company announced in a release. 

During the release of its first guidance to growers for the 2025-26 season outlining strong OGR per tray and hectare ranges, Jason Te Brake, CEO of Zespri, said the 170 hectares to be added in Italy will support efforts to continue to strengthen the Zespri brand through the availability of a red variety in Europe as part of Zespri’s 12 month supply strategy.

Additionally, Te Brake said favorable early season conditions have supported a strong start to this season’s harvest, with a total crop of more than 205 million trays, or 738,000 tonnes, now expected.

“Our industry has packed more fruit at this time of the season than ever before, and our first charter vessels have departed successfully, which is important as we look to get off to a fast start and return strong value back to our growers," Te Brake said. 

He added that initial guidance also anticipates improvements in fruit size and foreign exchange positions this season, with downside risks considered, including provision for quality costs should fruit quality deteriorate, softer market conditions, and reduced trade stemming from ongoing global geopolitical uncertainty.

“The feedback we’ve received from customers across Europe, China, and North America over recent weeks is that there’s strong demand for Zespri Kiwifruit, and our teams are looking forward to selling this season’s fruit as more arrives in the market in the coming weeks," he added. 

RubyRed growing

Regarding RubyRed kiwifruit, the CEO shared his excitement, "with nearly all of our 3 million trays of New Zealand-grown fruit now packed, with its berry-like taste available in several new markets this season, including the United States."

The commercialization of RubyRed Kiwifruit in Italy is covered by Zespri’s existing approval to plant up to 1,000 ha of new variety offshore as approved by growers via producer vote in 2019. This is the first time Zespri has used this allocation.

Source: Zespri