Strong demand and fruit quality drives positive forecast for Zespri growers

Media release:

Zespri has released its November forecast for the 2024/25 season with forecast returns up across almost all categories from the last forecast in August.  

At a per tray level, forecast Orchard Gate Returns (OGRs) have increased for all categories other than RubyRed, while forecast per hectare returns are now at record levels for Green and Organic Green on the back of improved yields while maintaining strong value in the market. Forecast per hectare returns for SunGold are also up from August and remain steady for Green14 and RubyRed. 

CEO Jason Te Brake says the season has progressed well, with positive forecast returns reflecting a strong collaborative effort across the industry in delivering record crop volume, positive foreign exchange gains and savings from advertising and promotional spending efficiencies.  

“The lift in forecast OGRs reflects the strong fruit quality we’ve seen this season when there’s been a record crop of more than 190 million trays to sell.

“There’s strong demand for Zespri Kiwifruit which is supporting a strong season finish with our teams in market focused on minimising late season quality costs.  

“SunGold quality has been particularly strong this season, supported by strong sales in our key markets and while Green quality has become more challenging at the back end of the season, we’re managing this with just a few weeks’ worth of fruit left to sell as we look to maximise the value we return to growers.  

“It’s pleasing to see the industry’s efforts in delivering quality fruit at large volumes to our customers, and we look forward to closing out the New Zealand season strongly.” 

Full details of the November 2024/25 forecast per tray and per hectare returns for all categories are outlined in the table below.