Zespri Kiwifruit, a New Zealand-based world leader in the production and marketing of kiwifruit, is preparing to inaugurate a new growth season in the European market. The first ships loaded with fresh fruit are en route to the ports of Zeebrugge, Tarragona and Vado, with arrivals expected in mid-April.
The 2025/26 harvest in New Zealand is well underway and is expected to be slightly larger than last year, with over 205 million trays. Favourable weather conditions have led to excellent fruit quality, both in terms of size and flavour.
“The SunGold kiwifruit season will start a week earlier than in 2024, with the first arrivals expected in mid-April, with Greens arriving in early May,” said Nikki Johnson, Acting General Manager Europe for Zespri. “We have solid plans and strong partnerships across Europe to ensure the season is a success.”
After last year’s record, 2025 is also looking good, with an estimated growth of 3,9% across all varieties. Zespri will aim to maximise sales in the early stages of the season, supported by an ambitious marketing strategy.
KiwiBrothers are back for the second year running with their “Choose Healthy, Choose Real – Feel the Zing” campaign, aiming to promote healthy eating habits through traditional and innovative channels, such as gamification and in-store activations.
“We are living in a moment of great focus on health and wellbeing, and we want to inspire European consumers to choose real food,” added Johnson.
Zespri is also continuing its commitment to sustainability: in 2025 it will introduce fully certified and compostable labels for fruit. “We are excited to take this important step, particularly relevant for markets such as France and Belgium, where it is already a requirement,” concludes Johnson.
