Evan Heywood: Motueka kiwifruit grower on the rise in export values, increase in demand for red kiwifruit

Kiwifruit exports are on the rise, with values now at their highest point ever. 

Exports for the fruit were worth $3.1 billion in the year to August. 

It's an increase of just over half a billion from 2023, with gold kiwifruit rising by 24%. 

Green kiwifruit were up 9.9%. 

Motueka grower Evan Heywood told Ryan Bridge the number of Ruby Red kiwifruit exported is also increasing. 

He says it's early days, but the demand is there for a good future in the market. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Care We fruit exports from New Zealand reached an all
time high three point one billion dollars for the year
in August this year. That's up five hundred and twenty
one million dollars or twenty percent. Gold carew We fruit
made the biggest contribution exports, valued at two point four billion,
a twenty four percent increase. Evan Hayward is the Motsueka
Kiwi fruit and apple grower. He's with me live this morning.
Get a Evan warning. Ryan, Thanks for being with me.

(00:23):
So what's going good for you?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
I like you said, the gold key fruit is going
well on the back of a couple of good years
now and volumes and quality have been outstanding.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
So we do in China is where we send our
gold buy and large. Isn't it.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
All over the world? Rhyme by your China's probably the
biggest market and also won of the highest paying markets.

Speaker 1 (00:47):
What's the deal with red? What are you doing there?

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yeah, we've got three hectes red in the ground. We'll
have our first commercial crop next year. So it's early days,
but the market is definitely keen on the red flesh
Q fruit variety. So it's early days, but demands there,
and we just need to learn how to grow this properly.
And yeah, I think there's a good potential in future

(01:14):
for a red flesh variety in the market.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
I haven't tried it. Does it taste any different? What
does it taste like?

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah, it's got some some tropical flavors and it is
quite different from the green and red green and gold
that most people are used to.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
Is that a higher value the red, Yes.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
It is, but bear in mind the volumes are very small,
so there's probably some scarcity value built into that price
at the moment.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
How hard is it to grow? I guess you're finding.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
Out, yes we are, but early indications that is a
little bit more difficult to grow than both the green
and the gold. This particular variety ruby red is a
little bit smaller and it can blemish quite quite easily
from you from one damage and one thing and another.
So yeah, it's got some some agronomical issues there, agronomy

(02:08):
issues there that that gruss will need to learn and
and you know, get better at.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
I'm looking forward to trying it. Evan, great to have
some good news from our Kevy fruit industry. Really appreciate
you being on the show Evan Hayward, Cairby fruit and
apple grower in Motueka and co owner of the Hayward Orchard.
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