The first New Zealand kiwifruit of the season bound for Europe is due to arrive next week. Some 5,500 pallets are onboard the MV Lady Rosebay on its maiden voyage to Zeebrugge. The vessel is operated by Fresh Carriers and is one of the fastest ships Zespri has ever used.
European marketing services manager Jean Louis Warnimont said: “Weather conditions have been quite different compared to last season. Rainfall and soil moistures are considerably lower in most regions in comparison to last year. Green orchards experienced good flowering conditions and pollination followed by good sizing conditions while Gold orchards suffered from a cold October giving the slightly smaller size profile. The high dry matter results in excellent taste.”
Volumes of green fruit are forecast to be very similar to last season but fruit size will be larger. Zespri Gold volumes are like to be down overall.
