Kiwifruit Harvest Going Well Despite Challenges

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated CEO Colin Bond said Kiwifruit harvest is progressing well in the Bay of Plenty, despite a number of challenges for growers over recent months.

Despite bad weather across the country over summer, many orchards were lucky to be unimpacted. 

While a few orchards in Welcome Bay had slips, and orchards elsewhere were initially concerned about plant health from excess water, the 2026 Kiwifruit harvest is off to a good start. 

"We're pretty resilient and we're still looking forward to a positive season ahead," Bond said. 

Red kiwifruit harvest is about 80% complete, and gold kiwifruit harvest has begun in the last fortnight.

"So still early days, but we've got about six million of our 140 million trays of gold kiwifruit packed."

Green kiwifruit harvest will start in the next fortnight. 

Around 15,000 seasonal workers are currently employed for the ongoing harvest. 

"There's lots of labour available, plenty of people keen to do a hard day's work and put some money in the bank," he said. 

First exports are have just arrived at their destinations and reports show strong interest and good prices for growers. 

However there is concern about the long term impact of the conflict in the Middle East. 

"A lot of the kiwifruit that's exported to the Northern Hemisphere goes through the Panama Canal, so we're able to get the fruit through to market."

"But we're all interested in what happens with that conflict and the impact longer terms of fuel prices and fuel availability." 

The risk of fuel supply shortages and rising fuel prices is on the horizon, but not hitting the industry yet he said. 

Sustained high fuel prices would impact "A, costs directly for the industry and B, costs for the consumer that could reduce demand." 

The price increase will effect fruit going to market this season and could have a long term impact on next season. 

"If fuel prices stay at a higher level, then that adds a direct cost to growers' fuel bills on their orchard."

Input cost rises are not unusual for growers, but he encourages individual businesses to make good expenditure decisions to manage costs as much as possible. 

"Take time to get out of the day-to-day noise and think more strategically about the business."

"Make sure you're thinking about where you can cut costs and if you can minimise your fuel use, obviously that's the quickest way to keep the costs down."

For some isolated orchards these costs may be starting to hit, "but they're resilient people and used to some of these challenges and I'm confident they'll manage their way through it."

For others, roading networks have posed a headache on top of fuel prices. 

"It's been a challenge with the Waioweka Gorge and the convoys that are in place," Bond said. 

More 700 hectares of fruit from Poverty Bay needs to get through the route, but this has been difficult. 

"We're just trying to make sure too that the officials understand the importance of at least keeping one route open," Bond said. 

It is vital more investment is put into the road to ensure it remains open and fruit can be exported he said. 

Despite all the challenges, Bond is positive the season is off to a good start.