Since 1975 there has been diversification into fruit exports, the most important being apples and kiwifruit. The centre of the kiwifruit expansion was the Bay of Plenty, especially Te Puke. Prices crashed in the late 1980s when other countries began to grow and export the fruit. The New Zealand Kiwifruit Marketing Board was set up to distribute and market kiwifruit internationally. The board rebranded as Zespri in 1997, which since became an international renowned brand.
Zespri has exclusive rights to export kiwifruit from New Zealand to all countries other than Australia. It has also licensed its fruit to be grown outside New Zealand. In 2022-2023 international sales of kiwifruit by Zespri reached $3.9 billion, and was New Zealand’s largest horticultural export.
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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
by Shirley Williams
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