Zespri says its RubyRed kiwifruit will be available in 16 markets this season, including Australia, Vietnam and Canada for the first time.
The company expects 5 million trays, or 18,000 tons, of the fruit this season. This is up from 3 million trays last season as more orchards increase production. Zespri says its volume to the U.S. will triple this year, with retail sales expected in mid-April.
Zespri CEO Jason Te Brake says RubyRed kiwifruit continues to be popular with consumers and plays an important role in starting the company’s sales season with strong momentum.
“RubyRed kiwifruit is the first of our kiwifruit harvested each season, helping create excitement and secure early shelf space ahead of our SunGold and green kiwifruit — something we saw last season with strong sales and positive feedback from our markets,” Te Brake says. “Building on last year’s successful introduction of RubyRed in the United States and strong volume growth in North America over recent seasons, we’re now able to expand beyond the Western States and into Canada.”
The company also plans increased volumes in Zespri’s core markets of China and Japan, with RubyRed sales programs already underway in China. Zespri RubyRed kiwifruit is also now available on shelves in New Zealand.
“Our first 25,000 trays of RubyRed in Shanghai largely sold out to key distributors and retailers, supported by our greater use of e-commerce platforms such as Douyin — the local version of TikTok — with around four days’ worth of sales from traditional channels completed in approximately four hours,” Te Brake says.
Te Brake says RubyRed has a shorter shelf life with a season of about eight weeks, adding that consumers have taken to the fruit’s bright red color and berrylike taste.
“It contains a number of antioxidants such as anthocyanins — naturally occurring pigments that give the fruit its red color — and is a good source of folate, potassium and vitamin C and E,” he says. “RubyRed is also helping attract new and younger consumers to the kiwifruit category, as well as the wider fruit category.”
Zespri commercialized a new red variety, Red80, to extend the commercial selling season. Its harvest window is slightly later than the existing Red19 cultivar. Red80 also has a longer storage life, and the company says the two varieties help extend availability, build awareness and lift demand.
The company says it will make available a total of 100 hectares of Red80 licenses to growers in May 2026. Red80 is expected to reach commercial volumes in 2028, which Zespri says will help to meet the strong global demand for RubyRed kiwifruit.
