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ZGS Supply

Zespri currently approves growers to grow SunGold Kiwifruit in Japan, Korea, Italy and France.

Zespri also procures Hayward from Italy and Greece and is now considering licencing growers in Greece to grow SunGold Kiwifruit after trials in the region were successful. Any move to licence growers in Greece would be subject to New Zealand growers supporting an expansion of licenced hectares via a producer vote.

Trials in North America will continue before a decision is made as to the next steps in that region. Zespri has also previously trialled growing SunGold Kiwifruit in Portugal, Spain and Turkey but these trials have been discontinued.

Standards

GAP certification

Zespri Kiwifruit produced or procured by ZGS has equivalent standards and auditing systems in place to NZ fruit

ZGS growers have equivalent independently audited food safety assurance systems to NZ such as GAP (other than Korea where this is currently under review as part of the Zespri GAP refresh).

Crop Protection Standards

ZGS growers must comply with the Zespri’s crop protection programme and residue testing checks compliance like in NZ.

Quality Standards

SunGold Kiwifruit growers in Europe and Asia have to meet quality standards and systems equivalent to those required of New Zealand growers, with additional standards in place to address country specific issues. Every season before the harvest, Zespri undertakes system audits on local packhouses/growers in order to ensure compliance. During the season Zespri can undertake an extra system audit if a critical non-compliance is found in the product audits.

Maturity Testing

Maturity testing in ZGS is very similar to New Zealand with clearance criteria being equivalent to New Zealand standards. For ZGS to be successful, the fruit needs to provide consumers with an equivalent taste and quality as fruit from New Zealand. SunGold Kiwifruit and growers have their fruit sampled and tested in the same way as it is in New Zealand – by independent service providers. Hayward fruit is also tested independently.

Competitor Varieties

Production of kiwifruit around the world is monitored by the International Kiwifruit Organisation which is a voluntary membership organisation of which New Zealand is a member.

The 2021 production report is available here. Note that this report does not include information for all members or for all kiwifruit producing countries.

Jingold

  • Jingold is an Italian consortium formed in 2001. Out of the various competitors, Jingold has the most similar operating structure to Zespri. On a much smaller scale, it presents a centralised sales and marketing office as well as a technical and quality department.
  • Jingold activities are geared around the commercialisation of the yellow flesh Jintao variety, for which they have obtained the exclusive rights from the Wuhan Botanical Institute in China. Through the years the consortium has established the variety in Italy mainly in Emilia-Romagna and Calabria, thanks to the good returns provided to its growers. The variety reportedly is also known for its storage potential which has enabled Jingold to exploit late commercialisation windows in Europe after the end of Zespri’s SunGold Kiwifruit season.
  • Jingold has been attempting to create a wide range of varietal options with other PVRs from the Wuhan institute such as Jinyan, another gold variety, Donghong (Oriental red) a red variety and Z5Z6, a green variety. Additionally, in the attempt of diversifying its Green offering, Jingold also markets the Hayward mutation known as BO-Erica under the label “Bliss”.
  • Jingold growers benefit from an incentive system for Dry Matter, GLOBALG.A.P. adherence and installation of hail netting in the orchard as well as differentiation between class 1 and class 2 returns.
  • The consortium has been working to expand its growing areas in Europe through partnerships in Spain, Portugal and Greece. Additionally by partnering with suppliers in Argentina and Chile Jingold is working to achieve 12-month supply.

Dori

  • The Dorì consortium has been formed under the guidance of DalPane nurseries to commercialise the yellow flesh Variety Dorì, developed by the Universities of Udine and Bologna in Italy.
  • The group does not have a centralised sales office, sales prices are agreed among the main marketers and customers and sales areas are assigned to each marketer and their co-marketers.
  • Currently Dorì declares little above 300ha in Italy.

  • Dori is working towards a 12-month supply strategy by planting in Chile.

Soreli

  • The majority of existing hectares were planted before the purchase of the PVR.
  • Soreli variety is currently scattered across multiple growing location and majority of European suppliers handle a small volume of the variety making it difficult to create any market strategy.
  • Its total hectares are unknown although the number in Italy has been shrinking through the years due to insufficient return to growers, often lower than Hayward ones, in the last years of scarce green production.

Origine Group

  • This consortium gathers some of the largest Italian kiwifruit suppliers together but largely focuses on the branded Hayward kiwifruit of Sweeki and Made in Blu. The Sweeki brand is also used to market Soreli. They have the PVR for a red flesh variety as well.