WHERE ARE KIWIFRUIT GROWN?
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Did You Know
Zespri™ Kiwifruit are widely recognised for their impressive nutritional content and irresistible taste.
But where does all of that Zespri™ deliciousness come from?
Kiwifruit are grown commercially all over the world, in such diverse places as New Zealand, Italy, France, Greece, and Chile. There are even commercial crops in China, Japan and South Korea.
Where are Zespri™ Kiwifruit Grown?
Zespri™ is an international brand, selling kiwifruit in over 50 countries. While Zespri™ is based in New Zealand, we have licensed growers in Italy, France, Japan and South Korea to grow our exclusive varieties of kiwifruit with trials in place in several other countries.
Zespri™ SunGold™ Kiwifruit in Australia are typically grown in New Zealand and Italy (after the NZ season ends).
New Zealand provides the ideal conditions for growing kiwifruit: plenty of sunshine, lots of rain, and extremely fertile soil. The growing season for kiwifruit is long — up to 240 days a year — so kiwifruit from New Zealand is typically available from mid-April to November.
To satisfy year-round consumer demands for our refreshing fruit, Zespri™ Kiwifruit typically comes from Italy December-February. You can be assured of consistently great-tasting fruit by looking for the Zespri label!
Introducing: The Zespri™ System.
When it comes to kiwifruit quality, How is more important than Where.
That’s where our unique Zespri™ System comes in!
The Zespri™ System is the foundation of the Zespri brand. It’s an integrated production and distribution system that helps us deliver the world’s best tasting kiwifruit to consumers worldwide. It has been achieved through years of research and practical developments, as well as an uncompromised commitment to continual improvement.
In fact, the powerful combination of nutrition and taste of Zespri™ Kiwifruit comes from our unique growing process, which covers every stage of the kiwifruit’s journey — from orchard to retailer.
These quality standards and procedures ensure that all Zespri products are grown with the best orchard management techniques possible and that we can deliver the best fruit possible to our consumers.
No matter where Zespri™ Kiwifruit is grown, you can rest assured that it’s the best!
Grown for Taste.
Most people don’t know that there’s a measure for taste — but there is! It was developed through our many years of experience with cultivating and growing kiwifruit, as well as countless consumer taste studies. This measurement allows us to ensure that all of our fruit meet our high taste standards prior to harvest.
We bring onboard 3rd-party auditors to check the fruit and make sure its at the right maturity level before growers are allowed to harvest. Our growers are incentivised and work tirelessly through the growing cycle to make sure everything on orchard helps drive better tasting kiwifruit for consumers.
This is how we can deliver delicious, high-quality kiwifruit that meets our highest standards — and yours!
A System of Growers
Zespri™ Kiwifruit is grown and harvested by a network of more than 2,500 growers that encompass New Zealand, Italy, France, South Korea and Japan. With its emphasis on quality, our Zespri™ System ensure that the kiwifruit arrive to stores at the height of their flavour.
But this starts with our growers and our growers are our family. They put care at the core of their values — you can taste it in every bite of Zespri SunGold™ Kiwifruit.
Because kiwifruit only grows in ideal conditions, Zespri™ Kiwifruit is grown in carefully selected orchards. The entire process can take up to five years of intensive care before the plants can produce enough fruit to harvest. Through the careful processes of our Zespri™ System, our growers harvest around 3.7 billion kiwifruits per year with nearly 30,000 acres in production.
Our Growers. Our Family. Our Commitment.
Part of the Zespri™ System emphasises regular communication with all of our kiwifruit growers, including deep collaborations and research. Our growers are all part of our family and we take pride in the contributions of every one of our growers, who have in turn committed to the Zespri™ System.
Meet our growers and see for yourself!
The name Zespri stands for health, vitality, energy, and a zest for living. The same can be said for the fruit we bring to you. This is due in part to the Zespri™ System — and our wonderful family of dedicated growers.
Want to know if your kiwifruit is the best that it can be? Just look for the Zespri logo!
