Ship in waiting for first export ‘kiwis’

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The first kiwifruit of the season leave Gisborne by sea early next week on board the freighter C.S.Trust that went to anchor in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa/Poverty Bay yesterday.

It is the first of eight scheduled kiwifruit shipments from here this season — more than last year.

“There could possibly be more,” kiwifruit company Seeka's Gisborne regional manager Kevin Gordon said. “We'll be packing right the way through the weekend to get the shipment ready for Monday and we expect to be able to get more than 900 pallets away.”

Mr Gordon said they had been getting the maturity levels they needed.

“Zespri has a series of maturity markers established to ensure that the fruit being exported meets customers' expectations.”

Cyclone Gabrielle had had an effect on the local industry, he said.

“The district has lost some fruit because of it but the loss will not involve a significant amount of fruit.”

The harvest will continue for about eight more weeks.

Mr Gordon expects there will be between 2.8 and three million trays of “kiwis” exported out of Gisborne this season. “We expect to finish the harvest in early May and to continue to export the fruit through into November.”