The outlook for kiwifruit demand remains healthy, with expanding consumption in Asia, the EU, and the US. Global kiwifruit exports have been steady over the last three years and show interesting changes in supply dynamics.
New Zealand kiwifruit exports grew strongly in 2021 and the outlook for the sector remains strong due to expanding kiwifruit consumption in Asia, the EU and the US, according to a new global report by agribusiness banking specialist Rabobank.
In the report ‘No red light for green and yellow kiwifruit’, Rabobank says global kiwifruit production reached four million metric tons in 2021 - a three year high, but still below the record figures of 2018.
Rabobank senior fresh produce analyst David Magana said: "Led by China, which accounts for more than 50 per cent of global supply, kiwifruit production has remained somewhat stable. But that doesn’t mean changes are not occurring. If we remove China from the production figures, since almost all of its supply goes into the domestic market, then we see five main producing countries - New Zealand, Italy, Greece, Iran and Chile. New Zealand is leading in production due to increased acreage, and (excluding China) now represents 33 per cent of total global production, up from 24 per cent in 2012."
"New Zealand kiwifruit exports reached a record figure of 647,700 metric last year, 13 per cent more than 2020. Exports out of Italy were down in 2021, while volumes from Iran, Greece and Chile remained stable," he said.
Dr Magana said since 2020, New Zealand exports of golden kiwifruit have surpassed Hayward exports in volume.
Source: research.rabobank.com