After a bumper year for both production and export volumes in 2015, New Zealand kiwifruit shipments are expected to enter a short-term period of consolidation in 2016, according to a USDA Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report.
Total production (all varieties) climbed to 475,000 tonnes in 2015, up 30 per cent on 2014, while exports rose 31 per cent to 454,000 tonnes.
Forecasts for 2016 peg the overall crop at 482,400 tonnes, while exports are tipped to rise 1.5 per cent to 460,400 tonnes.
The report tips export volumes to spike again over the next five as production of the G3 gold variety (marketed as SunGold) ramps-up. G3 vines are now planted over 4,600ha, or approximately 35 per cent of the total kiwifruit area in New Zealand.
