14 December 2023
Under the Radar: Behind your kiwifruit - Zespri on innovation, IP protection of kiwifruit varieties, and growing demand for the produce
Today we’re going to bring you an inside look into the kiwi fruit we eat from time to time for that Vitamin C boost!
Based in New Zealand, Zespri is one of the world’s most successful horticultural marketing companies and its the country’s largest horticultural exporter.
Just to give you some numbers, the firm exports over 167 million trays of kiwifruit to more than 50 countries around the world. We’re talking about 30 per cent of global volume and sales revenues of US$3.1 billion.
But how does the company work? Well Zespri is 100 per cent owned by current or past kiwifruit growers.
It manages kiwifruit innovation, supply and distribution management and marketing of varieties such as Zespri™ Green, Zespri™ Gold Kiwifruit and Zespri™ Red.
Aside from exporting products, it also gives out licences to farmers to farm certain varieties of kiwifruits – for instance the golden kiwifruit variety that is sweeter and higher in nutrients.
That said, how does the firm assess its reliance on a single type of fruit for production and business growth? Also – where are the bright spots for Zespri in the near term?
Meanwhile, Zespri also launched a US$2 million innovation fund to drive agricultural innovation and mitigate the impact of climate change globally. But what can we look out for on this front?
On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Jiunn Shih, Global Chief Marketing, Innovation & Sustainability Officer of Zespri.

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