The first of this season's export kiwifruit has left the Port of Tauranga bound for Japan aboard MV Lapponian Reefer.

The harvest began last week in Gisborne, Hawke's Bay and Te Puke and Zespri's Chief Executive Lain Jager says the industry expects to harvest a total crop of all Zespri varieties of around 85 million trays of kiwifruit.

Kiwifruit is loaded onto a cargo ship at the Port of Tauranga. Photo: File.

Up to 16 million trays will be of gold kiwifruit, which includes around 9 million trays of the new variety Zespri SunGold/Gold3. The estimated gold volume is up from around 11 million trays harvested last season.

Lain says this season marks another step along the recovery pathway from the vine-killing disease Psa, with gold kiwifruit volumes forecast to rise in 2014 after two years of decline.

'SunGold (Gold3) has been the cornerstone of the industry's recovery, replacing the more Psa-susceptible Gold (Hort16A) variety, with more than 4,000 hectares now licensed to grow in New Zealand.

'While we will never eradicate Psa from New Zealand, the ability of the industry to start rebuilding volumes in such a short time is testament to the innovative and cooperative nature of New Zealand growers and the very strong support we have had from the Government and other industry stakeholders,” says lain.

Zespri is well on track to having 50 million trays of SunGold by 2018, with over half of New Zealand growers now growing more than one variety on their orchards. The industry earned around NZ$1 billion in export earnings last year.

'Great growing conditions this season have produced good-tasting fruit with a larger size profile than last year, and volumes are increasing around three to four-fold for the new gold cultivar SunGold/Gold3, with strong demand from customers.”

Early season demand for Zespri Kiwifruit in Japan, which is Zespri's largest country market, is strong, with customers excited about getting the new season's fruit on to their shelves.

Zespri expects to load around 49 chartered refrigerated vessels over the next 32 weeks to exclusively carry the majority of the 2014 New Zealand kiwifruit harvest to key markets in Asia and Europe, including two ships direct to Shanghai.

Through having the scale to charter ships to exclusively carry Zespri Kiwifruit, Zespri has greater flexibility and efficiencies in its supply chain to get New Zealand fruit direct to market and in premium condition. The remainder of the 2014 harvest will be shipped in around 5,000 refrigerated containers.

The first ship for Europe to begin the 2014 selling season there is due to depart New Zealand in early April. Zespri Kiwifruit will be sold in 54 countries around the world this year.

NZ kiwifruit industry:

• Last year, 79 percent of Zespri's New Zealand kiwifruit was grown in Bay of Plenty, with remainder grown across the North Island and upper South Island.
• Zespri's top three country markets last season were Japan, Spain and China.
• Zespri system ensures traceability of every tray of fruit back to its orchard and packhouse of origin and underpins our premium brand.
• Zespri managed kiwifruit innovation and supply management, distribution management and marketing for around 86 million trays of fruit from 2,700 New Zealand growers last season.