Nelson is the southernmost region in New Zealand where kiwifruit are commercially grown. Kiwifruit are a deciduous subtropical fruit, originally from the Yangtze Valley in China. The first seeds were brought to New Zealand in 1904 by a schoolteacher named Isabel Fraser. From there, local nurserymen spent the next few decades selecting and grafting vines to improve the original Ichang gooseberry, eventually producing a larger, tastier fruit known as the Chinese Gooseberry.

The first commercial plantings were officially recorded in 1937, from seedlings selected by Hayward Wright whose name is still attached to the popular green ‘Hayward’ variety. These initial plantings took place in regions such as South Auckland, Te Puke, and Whanganui. As the fruit began to be exported in the 1960s, Turners and Growers rebranded it as “kiwifruit” in 1962—a strategic move that helped establish its global identity.

From these humble beginnings, New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry has become a world-leading success story. All New Zealand kiwifruit exports are now managed by Zespri, the world’s largest single marketer of kiwifruit. In the 2024/25 season, export sales reached NZ$5.14 billion.

Nelson produces approximately 5% of New Zealand’s total kiwifruit crop. Commercial kiwifruit production in the region began in the 1960s, with most of the significant plantings such as those by Wai-West Horticulture occurring in the 1980s. Today, all our kiwifruit are grown for export or the domestic New Zealand market under strict management practices.

Like apples, our kiwifruit are grown to meet stringent quality and taste standards set by Zespri. Pests are monitored closely, and all growing activities follow best practices, which are fully documented and independently audited to meet the GlobalG.A.P. standard.