The first Europe-bound shipment of Hayward green kiwifruit for the 2014 season is on its way, having departed the Port of Tauranga early this morning aboard the Atlantic Acanthus reefer ship.

The shipment follows closely on those destined for Japan, with the first two vessels due in the port of Kobe today.

The Atlantic Acanthus reefer ship with the first green kiwifruit destined for Europe. Photo: Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media Services.

Europe is New Zealand's largest kiwifruit export market, receiving more than half the fruit grown in this country.

Recent fine weather has boosted the kiwifruit harvest and growers are expected to yield 65 million trays of green fruit and 16.5 million trays of gold this season.

Though down on the total of 98.5m trays exported in the 2009-2010 season, it is a remarkable achievement given the impacts of disease Psa-V has had on orchards since 2011.

'Last season we had a vintage year with high dry matter and great taste, and this year's crop is looking stunning without too much pressure from Psa,” says Zespri CEO Lain Jager.

'Growers have really focused on how to manage Psa to protect their vines.”

Two seasons with weather conditions favourable to producing kiwifruit, but not so conducive to the Psa bacteria, have brought renewed optimism to the industry, says Lain.

He predicts volumes of gold fruit will increase to more than 20 million trays next year as young vines come into production.

Green volumes should also recover as growers increasingly learn to manage the disease.