Zespri's first charter shipment of the 2025 New Zealand kiwifruit season has departed from the Port of Tauranga, bound for Shanghai.
The vessel, Kowhai—named by Zespri in 2020—is carrying approximately 1.2 million trays, or 5,400 tonnes, of SunGold kiwifruit, along with 16 containers of RubyRed kiwifruit intended for the Chinese market. The Kowhai is scheduled to arrive in Shanghai by the end of March.
A second charter vessel, the Oriental Iris, is also departing this week, destined for Tokyo, as the export season continues to ramp up.
These shipments are the first of 61 charter vessels Zespri plans to use this season to transport what is anticipated to be its largest crop to date: around 200 million trays or 720,000 tonnes of Green, SunGold, and RubyRed kiwifruit. The fruit will be exported to more than 50 markets globally.
Zespri's charter shipping program uses refrigerated reefer vessels, where fruit is stored in the ship's hold. This method allows for higher volume capacity and direct sailings to market destinations without intermediate port calls, aiming to maintain product quality and delivery reliability.
Zespri CEO Jason Te Brake said the start of the shipping program marks a key point in the season. According to Te Brake, pre-season coordination with growers and post-harvest operators focused on enabling a timely start to the sales season.
He noted that recent demand for fruit from Zespri's non-New Zealand growing regions had been strong, providing continuity ahead of the transition to New Zealand-grown supply. Marketing efforts are also underway in various markets, with campaign rollouts planned throughout the year.
This season's charter shipments will include three sailings to Northern Europe, 14 to the Mediterranean region, one to the west coast of North America, and 43 to Asia. Additional volumes will be transported via container services.
For more information:
Anna Cross
Zespri
Tel: +64 27 316 7777
Email: anna.cross@zespri.com
www.zespri.com