When New Zealand growers decided to take a punt on a fruit native to eastern and central China, they weren’t sure it’d ever be more than a curiosity to Western palates, like Dragon Fruit or Mangosteen.
Mary Fraser brought the first Chinese gooseberry seeds to New Zealand in 1904, and a handful of growers decided to grow it as a curiosity.
In the past financial year (2024-25), what was once a novelty showed it has become a staple of fruit bowls around the globe as sales topped $5 billion (US$3 billion) for the first time, which the industry says is a “significant milestone.”
The sales figure exceeds the target set in 2015 to achieve sales of $4.5 billion by this year.
Kiwifruit marketer and exporter Zespri sold a record 220.9 million trays of the fruit in the past financial year, up from 164.2 million in the previous year.
That meant direct returns to the industry also hit a record of $3 billion.
Excluding the licence revenue charged to growers (based on the area they have planted), the company’s net profit was a record $79.8 million, up from $20.4 million in the year before.
Announcing the result, the company said it had increased its volumes and value in key markets despite downward pressure in the category.
“At a per-hectare level, returns are up and at record levels for green, organic green, and sweet green [varieties] off the back of the season’s improved yields,” Zespri Chief Executive Jason Te Brake said.
“[This follows] a challenging few years for growers, and we’ve been able to return strong value at a per-tray level for all categories in a record crop year, with final average per-tray returns above our February forecast
The company says 2025/26 season sales have started well, particularly in Europe and the United States, and have also made a strong start in Asia despite generally weaker market conditions.
From Chinese Gooseberry to Kiwifruit
The name change came in 1959, when worldwide sales grew and the fruit was indelibly associated with New Zealand in world markets.
The fruit proved particularly popular in the United States, where it was familiar to returned GIs who’d been stationed in New Zealand during World War II. So the decision was made to rename it Kiwifruit, after the country’s national bird.
By the 1960s, the UK and Australia imported significant quantities, and the industry was well established.
The Kiwifruit Marketing Board controlled the growing and marketing of the fruit. In the face of increasing competition from other countries trying to emulate New Zealand’s success, the board instituted another rebrand: New Zealand kiwifruit is now called Zespri, and so is the company that markets it.
