More than three million trays of Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit will be available for the first time in several exciting new markets.
The RubyRed harvest will get underway in New Zealand in the coming weeks, with a large increase in volume to Mainland China of more than one million trays, or 3,500 tonnes, and a further one million trays to Japan.
It will be available for the first time this season in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and the Pacific Islands.
CEO Jason Te Brake said it was an exciting time for Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit with volume doubling compared with last season, which was great news for consumers who loved its sweet berry taste, vibrant red flesh colour and the health benefits delivered by its high content of antioxidants.
“With harvest set to get underway in mid-February, Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit will soon be available in most supermarkets and fruit and vegetables stores across the Asia Pacific.
“There’ll be more RubyRed volume in our core markets of Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea and the popular fruit will also be back in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, as well as our exciting new markets.”
Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit was the latest variety to come through Zespri’s world-leading kiwifruit breeding programme in partnership with Plant & Food Research, with 2025 marking the fourth year of commercial production.
It was also naturally high in Vitamin C and contained anthocyanins, naturally occurring pigments within the fruit, that gave the fruit its red colour.
Te Brake added that Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit had been a popular addition, with the variety complementing Zespri’s Green and SunGold Kiwifruit and helping to attract new and younger consumers to the kiwifruit category.
The company saw strong demand for Zespri RubyRed, which was unique as it was more seasonal than Green and SunGold. It was the first variety to arrive in the market from New Zealand each season and was only available for up to eight weeks once it hit supermarket and fruit and vegetable store shelves.
“It’s fantastic to see volumes ramping up and we continue to build our knowledge on the variety. The increasing volumes also give us the opportunity to grow demand further and maximise the value we can return for our growers.”
