Posts Tagged “kiwifruit imports”
If you are hauling are importing kiwifruit right now, it is coming from New Zealand.
Currently, kiwifruit sold in the United States is being supplied by New Zealand through October, after which the domestic California harvest enters the market, followed by imports from Italy. U.S. goods trade with New Zealand totaled an estimated $10.1 billion in 2024.
Zespri reports the improved outlook to increased yields, improved fruit sizing for Green and RubyRed varieties, and added volume from newly producing orchards, particularly for SunGold and RubyRed.
“We have another bumper crop of more than 200 million trays from New Zealand this season, and our sales programs have started well, particularly in Europe and North America, where we’ve seen strong demand,” according to Zespri CEO Jason Te Brake.
Zespri is also advancing key strategic initiatives, including efforts to increase grower ownership.
As part of a recent share alignment initiative, the proportion of growers who hold shares in Zespri has risen to more than 60%, up from 48%. The increase follows a 2024 grower vote in which 91% supported Zespri’s offshore expansion strategy.
The season’s first two shipments of Zespri kiwifruit from New Zealand are expected to arrive at the Port of Philadelphia and the Port of Los Angeles by the end of April, according to the company. The fruit shipments, including Green and SunGold Kiwifruit, should be in retail stores by mid-May.
“We are heading into the new season as the #1 selling kiwi brand for the fourth consecutive year,” said Darren LaMothe, Zespri’s General Manager, North America, in a press release.
“We’ve had great weather and growing conditions and are expecting an exceptional-tasting crop this year.”
With more than 8,000 tons shipped to North America through May, the Chilean Kiwifruit season is underway. Peak U.S. imports are just kicking off and will continue through August.
While the Chilean Kiwifruit Committee is projecting an overall decrease in volume of 14 percent compared with last season, fruit quality is expected to be superior! Reports Carlos Cruzat, President of the Committee, “Fruit this year is between one and one and a half sizes larger, and dry matter (which plays a key role in the consumer’s eating experience) is greater than previous seasons.” This is the result of a warm summer with healthy water supply.
Chile shipped 134,992 tons of kiwifruit across the globe in 2022, with the U.S., Netherlands, and Brazil its top three markets. India has also grown substantially over the past few years, becoming the fourth largest market for the Chilean kiwifruit industry in 2022.
This season, Chile expects to export a total of 116,093 tons. The U.S. received 20,221 tons in 2022, with similar volumes projected this season, but increases are on the horizon. With new orchards coming into production over the next few years, Chile anticipates volume to grow by more than 80% by 2030.
In previous years, Chile had shipped around 35-40 percent of total kiwifruit volume through May, but this year, that figure has grown to 52 percent. With that in mind, the Committee is focusing on the June through August timeframe for promotions.
Apple shipments for the upcoming 2017 shipping season are projected to increase. Meanwhile, here’s a glimpse at California sweet corn shipments, as well as kiwifruit imports.Western state apple loadings are forecast higher, while and Midwest and Eastern apple shipments are seen to be down slightly compared to last season. The first estimate of the 2017 apple crop projects volume to hit 255.6 million (42-pound) cartons, up 2 percent from the previous season.
The 2017 estimate was released recently at the Premier Marketing Apple Forum in Syracuse, N.Y. The Premier estimate shows the East and Midwest region to be 4.5 percent less than the 2016 crop. However, apple production in the Western U.S. is forecast to be up 5 percent compared with 2016.
The estimate is the first for the 2017 U.S. apple crop.
Apple Shipper Expanding
Fowler Farms of Wolcott, NY is a grower/shipper of apples and is expanding the packing capacity it has for fruit coming from its 2,500-acre, six-farm operation. The company is now installing a new eight-lane grader/sorter system. The multimillion-dollar system should be operational in time for the start of Fowler’s apple harvest beginning August 1st.
Founded in 1856, family-owned Fowler Farms is one of the largest vertically integrated apple farms in the U.S., offering 23 varieties of fresh apples and a line of refrigerated ciders.
Sweet Corn Shipments
Uesugi Farms of Gilroy, CA shipped its first conventional crop of the season from the Coachella Valley before Memorial Day weekend, and the company is now harvesting in Brentwood, CA. That harvest will continue in Gilroy. The operation has added white, yellow and bi-color organic sweet corn to its list of products. The organic sweet corn will come in packages of four ears, and is being harvested in Wasco, CA., and harvests will then move to Northern California, the Coachella Valley and Mexico.
Kiwifruit Imports
New Zealand kiwifruit imports by the U.S. should increase overall as the season is already underway for green conventional and organic kiwifruit, as well as SunGold conventional and organic fruit. Imports started last May and will continue through November. Kiwifruit is a rapidly growing in popularity and the SunGold in particular is expected to increase by 40 percent over last season.