The first shipment of New Zealand kiwifruit left the Tauranga port over the Easter weekend.
The consignment of 570,000 trays of gold and green kiwifruit is destined for Japan, with the first shipment to Europe scheduled for one week later.
A spokesperson for kiwifruit marketer Zespri said that the fruit headed to Japan and Europe is from Gisborne and Bay of Plenty, where picking has recently commenced.
Export shipments are expected to be down from 102m trays in 2012 to an estimated 90m this year, according to Zespri’s supply chain general manager Sally Gardiner. This 12m reduction reflects the impact of the vine killing disease Psa on gold kiwifruit production.
Zespri anticipates that prices this season will be consistent with last year.
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