WELLINGTON, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Kiwifruit exports were valued at 3.5 billion NZ dollars for the 2024 season, up 44 percent compared with 2023, according to the statistics department Stats NZ on Friday.
"This is a great recovery for the industry after last year's weather events, and a return to historic highs," Stats NZ international accounts spokesperson Viki Ward said.
While the prices for kiwifruit remained relatively stable, the volume of kiwifruit produced this season has driven the overall increase in exports, Ward said, adding that the kiwifruit season is typically from March to November.
Total fruit exports for the year ended November 2024 were valued at 4.7 billion NZ dollars, with Kiwifruit making up 73 percent and apples 21 percent, statistics show.
Over the same period, apples rose 118 million NZ dollars, and avocados rose 33 million NZ dollars compared with November 2023, with the majority of New Zealand avocado exports heading to Australia, Ward said. (1 NZ dollar equals 0.56 U.S. dollar) ■
