| Written by Constance Stickler
The Kiwi Fruit or There and Back Again
Long before it became a symbol of New Zealand, the kiwi fruit had its roots in the misty mountains of central China. The fruits first came from the Yangtze River valley to New Zealand in 1904, brought by Mary Isabel Fraser, the headmistress of Wanganui Girls' College, who had visited a missionary sister. Upon her return from the trip, she gave the kiwi seeds to Alexander Allison, a farmer with an interest in unusual plants.
Allison began breeding this "Chinese gooseberry," as it was first called. More and more gardeners became enthusiastic about the plant, and fifteen years after its arrival, it was already being sold in several nurseries. Until the 1940s, cultivation remained limited to private gardens and local markets.
In 1959, the fruit, also known as melon, finally received its new name: Kiwi, from the Auckland fruit-packing company Turner & Growers. While the story of the kiwi bird as the sole namesake—due to the external similarities—is a nice one, it is a myth. While the resemblance played a welcome role, the choice was primarily a strategic marketing decision aimed at creating a strong national association and enhancing international appeal. (1)
New Zealand began exporting kiwifruit in the early 1950s, though exports to China specifically started much later, following the rapid economic development and opening of the Chinese market. Today, it is one of the largest importers of New Zealand kiwifruit, especially for premium varieties.
What Does New Zealand's Kiwi Industry Look Like Today?
New Zealand's kiwifruit industry regularly generates billions in export revenue, supports thousands of jobs, and keeps supermarket shelves stocked from Tokyo to Taipei. Behind this success lies a blend of science, strategy, and a very special climate.
The heart of kiwifruit production is the Bay of Plenty, where mild winters, warm summers, and volcanic soils create near-perfect growing conditions. Other important regions include Gisborne, Northland, and parts of Nelson and the South Island, each offering its own unique microclimatic advantages. That's more than 13,000 hectares of plantations—and the area continues to grow.
Five hundred thousand tonnes of kiwifruit are produced here annually. Around 95% of these are exported. The two predominant varieties – green and yellow – are exported in large quantities between March and November. Export earnings for kiwifruit amounted to NZD 2.7 billion in 2023, having recovered from weather disruptions and labour shortages.
East Asia is by far the most important export destination. Consumers in countries such as Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong prefer premium New Zealand brands because they value food safety, freshness, and quality – three things that New Zealand producers take to heart.
The Kiwi's Journey from the Orchard to Eastern Asia's Homes
From the outside, the kiwi may seem uncomplicated. While its skin protects its interior well—and us from pesticides, which is why the kiwi is one of the "clean fifteen"—it requires regulated environmental conditions to maintain the freshness and quality we so value in this New Zealand fruit:
Why Are Kiwi Fruits So Sensitive to Temperature Variations?
Kiwis are living, breathing fruits—in the truest sense of the word. They continue to breathe even after harvest, and this natural process makes them extremely sensitive to temperature fluctuations. The rate of respiration depends primarily on the ambient temperature: if it's too warm, the fruit ripens too quickly; if it's too cold, there's a risk of cold damage.
This sensitivity means that even small temperature fluctuations can accelerate spoilage or impair taste and texture. Both varieties, green and yellow, rely on precise conditions, but the yellow fruits tend to ripen even faster and are, therefore, a wee bit more sensitive.
Transportation from New Zealand to the shores of East Asia and on to consumers can take weeks, so controlling conditions is an essential element for successful Kiwi transport. Even if the kiwis may appear intact upon arrival, if standards have not been met, this can be evident in internal damage and flavour off-targets.
What Are the Temperature Standards Across the Kiwi Supply Chain?
Temperature, humidity, and airflow must be maintained within strict parameters at every stage – harvest, packhouse, storage, port handling, and sea transport. After harvesting, the kiwis are gradually cooled to an internal temperature of approximately 0–1°C. This temperature must then be maintained constant, combined with a relative humidity of 90–95%, to prevent dehydration.
If temperatures are too high, the kiwi ripens – and instead of a juicy, you get a mushy fruit. In addition, many countries require strict phytosanitary measures and proof of compliance with temperature regulations.
What Happens to a Kiwi Before It Reaches the Port?
It all begins in the orchard, where growers monitor sugar levels (measured in Brix) to determine the perfect harvest time. Harvest timing is crucial: Too early, and the fruit loses flavour; too late, and shelf life suffers. Harvesting typically begins in March for golden varieties and lasts until May for green ones.
The freshly picked fruit is quickly transported to a packhouse, where it is sorted, graded, and chilled. Machines and trained employees inspect each fruit for size, ripeness, and visible defects. Optical sorters (Visible/NIR spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, etc.) can also detect internal problems that could affect shelf life or flavour.
Additionally, checks are conducted for pests, diseases, and chemical residues to meet the stringent phytosanitary requirements of East Asian markets.
Once sorted, the fruit is chilled to just above freezing. A slow chilling process is essential; the produce is gently chilled, ensuring its shelf life and transportability. From this point on, the cold chain must be fully maintained.
Each shipment must be certified for compliance to ensure it meets the regulations of the destination country. In some cases, measures such as deep freeze storage or fumigation are required before export. Only then can the fruit be released for export and begin its journey to the port.
What Role Do Ports Play in Kiwi Transport?
For sensitive products like kiwis, ports aren't just transit points; they're critical control centres. Hundreds of thousands of tons of kiwis pass through New Zealand's ports every year, making the seasonal harvest season a particularly intensive logistical effort.
Because kiwis are a high-value, perishable commodity, ports must handle them quickly and precisely. Delays, temperature overshoots, or inefficient handovers can jeopardise entire shipments. Especially during the peak season from March to November, port authorities, logistics service providers, and exporters must work closely together to keep the cold chain uninterrupted and efficient. Precise planning and real-time monitoring of conditions play a crucial role in this.
Major Export Ports: Port of Tauranga and Beyond
Located directly on the Bay of Plenty, the main growing region, the Port of Tauranga plays a key role. The lion's share of exports are handled here. Its proximity to the plantations, with its packing and cold storage facilities, makes it an ideal hub for container and charter shipments. During harvest time, it is one of the busiest cold storage ports in the Southern Hemisphere.
Tauranga boasts size and efficiency; in addition, as the country's largest export port by volume, it offers access to deep waters, modern refrigeration infrastructure, and regular shipping connections to Asia and beyond.
Other important ports include Napier for the Gisborne and Hawke's Bay regions. The ports of Auckland, Lyttelton, and Nelson are less used but are essential for handling overflow and supplying producers outside the Bay of Plenty.
Each of these ports brings unique strengths, but all must operate to the same standards: seamless cold chain continuity, efficient container handling, and close coordination with inland logistics. In a market where freshness is everything, every port movement must be perfectly coordinated.
Coordination Between Growers, Freight Forwarders, and Port Authorities
No player operates in isolation in the supply chain; it relies on close coordination between growers, packhouses, freight forwarders, and transport companies.
Growers and packhouses initially plan harvesting and packaging according to shipping plans. Freight forwarders then organise container bookings, inland transport, customs documentation, and delivery to the port. Once there, the refrigerated containers are immediately connected and kept under continuous temperature monitoring until they are loaded onto a ship.
Coordination is anything but simple. Quantities fluctuate, weather can cause harvest delays, and shipping schedules can shift. Ultimately, it is this coordinated choreography that ensures that the fruit leaves New Zealand in perfect condition and arrives with optimal quality.
Handling on Arrival: Ensuring Quality at Asian Ports
Typically, the port of arrival is a critical phase for the transport of perishable goods, where more damage occurs than at the port of departure. Therefore, sensitivity is required.
Upon arrival at Asian ports, kiwi shipments undergo a final, critical phase of handling and inspection. Every step, from unloading the ship to customs clearance, must be carried out quickly, carefully, and coolly.
At ports such as Yokohama (Japan), Shanghai (China), Busan (South Korea), and Kaohsiung (Taiwan), the sweet cargo from New Zealand is already awaiting arrival. Refrigerated containers are usually unloaded with priority and then either connected at the port facilities or taken directly to the cold storage facilities for unloading. Temperature records from the journey are reviewed, and some markets require random quality control checks to verify the condition of the fruit.
Problems with pesticide residue and pest control checks, as well as discrepancies in shipping documents, could lead to costly delays or, in the worst case, the rejection of the shipment.
Once the shipment is released, the fruit is forwarded to local retailers or ripening facilities based on market demand. In highly competitive markets where presentation and freshness determine a brand's reputation, this final handoff is as critical as any other part of the journey. A single flaw—whether in the orchard or on the dock—can undo months of work:
Kiwi Transport: What Can Go Wrong and How to Solve It?
Kiwis are fragile, and many challenges await them on their journey to consumers in faraway countries:
What Happens if Temperature Control Fails?
When temperature control fails, the consequences aren't always immediately apparent. Kiwis may look fine on the outside, but their internal quality may be compromised, which may not become apparent until days later on the supermarket shelf or even later, in the consumer's hands.
One of the first signs of a poor cold chain is accelerated ripening. Temperatures higher than recommended shorten shelf life and result in soft, overripe fruit. Temperatures below these limits can lead to chilling damage—noticeable as internal browning, off-flavour, or a dry, rubbery texture.
If this damage is discovered upon arrival, it can result in entire containers being downgraded or written off, resulting in financial losses for exporters and reputational damage for brands. Importers in East Asia, especially in premium markets such as Japan and South Korea, are known for their strict quality standards and are quick to reject fruit that doesn't meet them. In short, there's no room for error. The success of New Zealand kiwifruit exports is based not only on growing high-quality fruit but also on maintaining its quality at every step – with cold chain management playing a key role.
Weather Impacts and Supply Chain Disruptions
Despite the most advanced technologies in today's logistics systems, weather remains one of the most unpredictable and uncontrollable challenges for the kiwifruit supply chain. Both New Zealand and East Asia are vulnerable to seasonal weather events that can delay harvests, damage infrastructure, or disrupt delivery schedules.
In New Zealand, the kiwifruit harvest runs from March to June, a period that often coincides with autumn storms and increased rainfall, particularly in key growing areas such as the Bay of Plenty and Gisborne. In recent years, the North Island has also been hit by cyclones, causing flooding, road closures, and crop damage. Even less drastic rainfall can cause delays in harvesting and packing, necessitating adjustments to delivery plans.
The shipping route between New Zealand and East Asia runs through the South Pacific and the South China Sea, where the typhoon season runs from May to October. While ships are rarely affected by these storms, occasional diversions or delays in transhipment ports such as Singapore or Hong Kong can impact delivery times.
The risk of weather-related disruptions requires close coordination, flexible booking systems, and real-time communication between exporters, shipping companies, and importers. Given increasing climate volatility, proactive planning and stable cold chains with real-time monitoring are becoming increasingly important.
Infrastructure Bottlenecks at Peak Export Seasons
Every year, the kiwi harvest compresses months of work into a few stressful weeks. This rush creates enormous demand for port space, cold storage, and refrigerated containers – all simultaneously. New Zealand's export infrastructure, although well-developed, sometimes reaches its limits during the harvest season.
The Port of Tauranga is the country's largest export hub for kiwifruit handling. Refrigerated reefer capacities are being exhausted, and terminal congestion can lead to truck backups and delays in ship loading.
Inland transport networks are also feeling the pressure. Cold-chain trucks are becoming scarce. Other problems, such as labour shortages in packhouses, freight forwarders, or port terminals, are becoming unpleasantly apparent.
Increasing investments are being made in automation such as remote reefer monitoring to ensure flexibility in case delays require volume reallocation or last-minute changes to vessel bookings.
How to Overcome the Challenges: Reefer Container Technologies and Monitoring
Today's reefers are highly insulated, computer-controlled, and equipped with sensors that provide a detailed picture of the fruit's environmental conditions during every phase of transport (see also: automated reefer monitoring).
Kiwis require a constant ambient temperature of 0–1°C and a relative humidity of 90–95%. Airflow must also be maintained to prevent the formation of ethylene, which inhibits ripening. Air must circulate evenly throughout the container to ensure consistent cooling – right up to the pallets in the rear.
Remote monitoring is crucial. Using IoT (Internet of Things) technology, data on temperature, humidity, and other parameters is transmitted in real-time. Even the door status is displayed to prevent damage from being caused by prolonged or accidental opening.
Advanced solutions are seamlessly integrated into the TOS (Terminal Operating System) and trigger alerts via various channels based on configured logic as soon as predefined thresholds are reached. This has the advantage of allowing intervention in reefer operations before the situation escalates and time is running out. Problems are resolved before they even arise.
Particularly sophisticated systems allow reefer settings to be changed remotely. This saves personnel a potentially long, but certainly hazardous, walk across the yard to the reefer rack.
In addition to reliable monitoring, the seamless documentation of values is a major advantage of these solutions, which builds trust. Importers in East Asia increasingly expect transparency and traceability.
Outlook: Trends in Asian Consumer Demand
The future of New Zealand's Kiwi exports is closely linked to evolving consumer preferences in Asia. East Asian markets value the fruit as a healthy snack and premium product, and New Zealand exporters aim to preserve and expand this premium image.
Consumers are becoming increasingly health-conscious, but also more selective. Taste, ripeness, appearance, and origin definitely play a role in the purchasing decision. This is especially true for younger urban shoppers who prefer branded fruit with traceability and are willing to pay more for quality assurance.
New varieties such as SunGold (the "yellow kiwi") have contributed significantly to increased demand. Their sweeter profile and golden flesh appeal to a wider audience, and the campaign by the world's largest kiwi marketer, Zespri, has reinforced their position as a "superfruit." RubyRed, a "red kiwi," is now also available.
There is also a demand for ready-to-eat, pre-ripened fruit, as has been known and appreciated for years with avocados. This forces exporters to optimise their maturity protocols and supply chain times. Exporters who combine quality with agility have the best opportunities for growth.
FAQ
What Secrets Does the Hairy Berry Hide Beneath Its Fuzz?
In its original homeland of China, the kiwi was called "Yang tao" ("sunny peach", "strawberry peach") or "Mihoutao" ("macaque fruit" or "monkey peach") because of its appearance and the small primates' preference for the sweet berry fruit.
The kiwi is a vigorous, deciduous climber that grows up to 20 meters tall. It has large, round leaves with a diameter of 7–12 centimetres and bears male and female flowers on separate plants. Male and female plants must grow close together to produce fruit.
The vines are very long-lived: some of them, planted in New Zealand in the 1930s, were still bearing fruit in 2008. In Korea, a plant of a related vine, the Arguta kiwi (Actinidia arguta), is said to be 600 years old.
Kiwi can be eaten with its skin for extra fibre—organic is recommended—but the skin is usually removed before eating or preparing it. The enzyme actinidin in kiwi can tenderise meat, which is why kiwi is sometimes included in marinades or paired with proteins like chicken and salmon. In addition to jam, juice, etc., the fruit is usually eaten fresh. For most New Zealanders, pavlova with kiwi topping is considered a national dish.
Takeaway
Kiwi export requires precision and coordination, from the carefully timed harvest in the orchard to the finely tuned cold chain that stretches across oceans. The journey of the hairy berry requires constant temperature control, seamless collaboration between growers, shippers, and ports, and robust technologies such as real-time monitoring of refrigerated containers. Ports like Tauranga are not only gateways but also crucial checkpoints for quality assurance.
Logistical challenges such as weather events and infrastructure bottlenecks demonstrate that premium quality must not only be cultivated but also protected every step of the way. In the global race for freshness, there is no room for error – and without data, there is no successful Kiwi transport.
Delve deeper into one of our core topics: Refrigerated containers
Glossary
Brix (°Bx) is a scale that measures the concentration of dissolved solids, primarily sugars, in a liquid solution. One degree Brix equals one gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution, making it a standard for assessing sweetness and quality in fruit juices, wines, and other beverages. Brix is typically measured using a refractometer or hydrometer and is crucial in the food, beverage, and agricultural industries for quality control and product grading. The scale is also referenced in sugar manufacturing, winemaking, and premium fruit cultivation. (2)
Clean Fifteen refers to an annual list of fifteen fruits and vegetables found to have the lowest levels of pesticide residues, according to testing by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) based on USDA data. These items, which often have thick skins or peels, are considered safe to buy in their conventional (non-organic) form. The Clean Fifteen helps consumers prioritise when to buy organic versus conventional produce, balancing health concerns and cost. Common examples include avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, onions, and mangoes. And, of course, Kiwis. (3)
Sources
(1) https://blog.polynesianpride.co/why-are-new-zealanders-called-kiwis/
(2) Jackson, R.S. (2020): Wine Science: Principles and Applications. Academic Press.
(3) Environmental Working Group (EWG) Science Team (2024): EWG's 2024 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Editor: EWG Science Team.
Author
Conny Stickler, Marketing Manager Logistics
Constance Stickler holds a master's degree in political science, German language and history. She spent most of her professional career as a project and marketing manager in different industries. Her passion is usability, and she's captivated by the potential of today's digital tools. They seem to unlock endless possibilities, each one more intriguing than the last. Constance writes about automation, sustainability and safety in maritime logistics.
