CEO Jason Te Brake leads high-level delegation to one of kiwifruit marketer’s fastest-developing markets
Zespri’s chief executive Jason Te Brake, chief supply chain officer Tim Mackle and president of Greater China Michael Jiang recently completed a tour of Vietnam, visiting customers, distribution facilities, retail stores and wholesale and wet markets.
The leadership group spent several days in Vietnam from late July into early August to get a closer look at the evolution of the fast-developing market, including consumer trends and the retail landscape, and to gather feedback from Zespri’s key distribution partners.
“We’re continuing to invest in Vietnam because we see strong long-term growth potential there,” Te Brake told Asiafruit. “In the 2025/26 season, we supplied around 1.55mn trays of fruit to Vietnam. This season, we expect that to increase to about 1.65mn trays, or 5,940 tonnes, with demand expected to keep growing over the coming years. This season also marked the first launch of RubyRed in the market.”
A key focus of the trip was meeting with Zespri’s distribution partners, Tu Phuong (Tony Fruit), Biovegi and Joybee Fruits. “We talked through market performance, how Vietnam has changed in recent years, and how we can keep building the kiwifruit category and the Zespri brand together in the seasons ahead,” said Te Brake.
Vietnam’s rising income levels and growing appetite for premium food and beverage products are creating opportunities for Zespri, he noted. “Consumers are looking for high-quality, nutritious products and are prepared to pay more for brands they trust,” he observed.
During the visit, the Zespri leadership team also spent time in a range of retail outlets, from modern trade stores through to more traditional channels. A late-evening visit to the Thu Duc wholesale market in Ho Chih Minh City also gave them a useful look at how fruit moves through the market, how consumers are shopping, and how the wider fruit category is developing. These visits helped the group to build a clearer picture of where Zespri can keep growing its presence in Vietnam.
“There are some short-term challenges in the broader economic environment, but we remain confident about Vietnam’s long-term potential,” Te Brake concluded. “Overall, the visit was a valuable opportunity to reinforce our commitment to the market, spend time with key partners, and look at how we can continue building demand for Zespri kiwifruit in Vietnam as part of our 2035 strategy.”
