ORLANDO, FL - O kiwifruit, kiwifruit, wherefore art thou kiwifruit? The answer of course was at the Zespri™ booth at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show. There, we touched base with Dan Mathieson, Chief Executive Officer, to see what’s new with the category and how Zespri is growing its footprint.

“…we’re only just beginning the journey,” Dan says in reference to the fact that kiwifruit has been one of the fastest-growing fruit categories over the last four years. “We’re still a very, very small category in the global fruit bowl, and we’ve got lots of growth ahead of us, and we’re looking forward to all of our partners and customers about doing just that.”

At the Zespri booth, the supplier was showcasing all of its varieties, including its green kiwifruit, Zespri Organics, and its popular Zespri SunGold®, which was featured in a range of dishes at a Welcome Reception sponsored by the company.

When we asked Dan about Zespri’s current focus and its plans for future growth, the CEO told us that it's all about increasing its market penetration and highlighting the benefits of the category.

“We have got wide distribution this year, and what you’ll see in most of the stores is our great new displays. They are really helping us create visibility for our Zespri kiwifruit and helping consumers find us,” he explains. “When they try us, they’re loving it. They’re loving the sweet taste, they’re loving the high vitamin C, and the ready-to-eat-ness of our Zespri SunGold. And so, the more that we can get that fruit out to people, we know that they’re going to come back and buy more of it.”

To hear more program insights from Dan, watch the exclusive video above.

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