Global fruit sales have surged to a record NZ$5.9 billion as kiwifruit marketer Zespri reports massive volumes and surging profits for the 2025/26 season.
The strong financial result saw direct returns to the New Zealand industry reach a record $3.56 billion for the 2025 season, up from $3.04 billion in 2024.
Total Fruit and Service Payments were distributed across New Zealand’s growing regions, including the Bay of Plenty, Northland, the East Coast, Nelson, and the Waikato.
The record sales revenue came from a record 248.1 million trays sold globally, climbing from $5.0 billion and 220.9 million trays in the previous year.
Per-hectare returns reached record levels across all fruit categories, with average final per-tray returns exceeding Zespri’s February forecast following a positive finish to its sales programmes.
