NZ firm Turners & Growers Ltd marketed fruit & vegetables at auctions, & imported & exported produce

In 1959, Turners & Growers had promoted Chinese gooseberries to its American importers in Honolulu & San Francisco

As the fruit originated from China & it's flavour was similar to a gooseberry, it was named 'Chinese gooseberry' in NZ

However, the fruit wasn't of the 'Grossulariaceae' family

Hence, Turners & Growers Ltd registering - but not trademarking - the name "kiwifruit" for the American market

A 1979 celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the naming of the Kiwifruit was held by Turners & Growers

In Jan 1904, Mary Isabel Fraser had brought seeds of the plant to Whanganui from Ichang in China

Mary had taken leave of absence as Principal at the Whanganui Girls' College in June 1903 to travel overseas

Mary visited her sister Katie (3d left) who was a teacher at the Church of Scotland's Mission in Ichang, China

They had met up in Japan in August 1903 for a holiday, then travelled together to Ichang

The seeds were given to Thomas Allison (Wanganui solicitor & orchardist) who passed them on to his brother, Alexander

Alexander Allison (farmer & horticulturalist) planted the seeds at his property Letham and the vines bore fruit in 1910

James McGregor was a friend of Alexander Allison & also grew Chinese gooseberries on his Whanganui property

It is uncertain whether McGregor obtained his plants from Allison or during a trip to Yangtzee Valley in China in 1906

McGregor was interested in horticulture & would collect plants when travelling overseas

It is also unknown whether Allison received seeds from McGregor, rather than from Fraser, to grow

Chinese gooseberry plants are dioecious - male and female flowers (both cream-coloured) grow on separate plants

Top: Male flower has thin stamens topped in yellow pollen

Bottom: Female flower has peripheral stamens with protruding white stigmas & no pollen

Insects need to collect pollen from male flowers & take it to female flowers as fruit are only formed by female flowers

Frank Mason sold plants he'd grown to Duncan and Davies nursery in New Plymouth in 1917, & gave seedlings to Bruno Just

Nurseryman Bruno Just (Palmerston Nth) grew seeds from Mason & Gorton, & selected best traits to breed 'Bruno' variety

Bruno vines have large elongated fruit; dark brown skin with dense, short, bristly hairs; & light-green flesh

In Nov 1921, the Auckland Acclimatisation meeting heard about successful growing of Chinese gooseberries at Feilding

Mr. J. W. Poynton explained it was the size of the passion fruit, had a most delicious flavour & eaten fresh or as jam

By 1920s, plants were being offered for sale by nurserymen

Sellers were listed in Auckland, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Fielding, Wanganui & Tauranga

Initially, horticultural catalogues promoted Chinese gooseberries as being an ornamental climbing plant with blossoms

Then Chinese gooseberries were promoted as being new fruit

"For jams, jellies, and fruit salads it is said to be unsurpassed."

Nov 1927: Advert for Flowering & Vegetables Plants stand at the Manawatu Show included Chinese gooseberries

Display stand was set up by B. H. Just, proprietor of the Botanical Nurseries at Palmerston North

1930s news reports of fruit & vegetable stocks at Auckland & Wellington markets began to include Chinese gooseberries

In July 1930, the first stock for sale at Auckland cost Is 6d a chip which contained 12 to 15 berries

Aug 1932: Article describes the growing of the 'new fruit' at Hayward Wright's orchard at Avondale

By 1960’s, ‘Hayward’ became the standard cultivar of exported kiwifruit around the world & makes up 90% of kiwifruit

July 1936: Market Gardeners, Ltd list of sales at Wellington included Chinese gooseberries: 7s to 10s per half-case

March 1937: Article gives planting tips

If crop of fruit wanted "it is necessary to plant vines of both sexes." A single plant will grow an ornamental shrub.

During WWII, the fruit also became popular with British & American servicemen stationed in NZ

This encouraged further planting with a view to including it amongst exported fruit to Australia, UK & US

Early settlers had established home orchards in Te Puke and found the climate & soils suitable for pip & citrus fruits

The first commercial orchard was planted in 1915 with apples, pears, oranges, lemons & grapefruit

By 1918, the first Chinese gooseberry plant was said to have been planted in Te Puke

In 1937, Jim MacLoughlin planted ½ acre of Chinese gooseberries on his orchard at No.3 Road

He had bought his 7-acre lemon & passionfruit orchard in 1934

MacLoughlin was inspired by his neighbour Vic Bayliss who'd sold Chinese gooseberry fruit from a couple of plants for £5

Baylis had bought 6 plants from a hawker at a stock sale

After World War II, the Rehabilitation Department settled returned servicemen on the No 3 Road as orchardists

This led to further plantings of Chinese gooseberries

In 1947, Vic Bayliss' son Grahame planted 9.6 hectares of 'Haywards' variety at No. 3 Road, Te Puke

(Photo: Grahame Bayliss (right) shows some of his 1964 crops of Hayward kiwifruit to fruit marketer Stan Conway)

Suitability of Bay of Plenty climate & soils led to expansion of kiwifruit orchards

Katikati's first vines were planted in the early 1950s, with dairy farms being transformed into orchards

During 1970s, kiwifruit was planted near Whangarei & the Hawkes Bay, followed by other regions (as seen on 2017 graph)

In 1952, MacLoughlin exported some crates with a batch of lemons to London firm T. J. Poupart at Covent Garden

As the Chinese gooseberries proved popular, Poupart's salesman, George Burns, ordered 1,500 crates for the next season

Grahame Bayliss & his two brothers Walter & Jim supplied subsequent shipments, with Walter's first export in 1956

Their first export shipment was loaded by hand onto a truck and sent to the Port of Tauranga

In 1958, survey results of most promising commercial strains were listed in NZ Journal of Agriculture (v.97, pp.161-5)

Main commercial varieties listed by H. M. Mouat were: Abbott, Bruno, Hayward, Allison & Monty / Montgomery

In 1966-67, the T-bar structure was developed by Te Puke farmers Bill Baldwin & Don Wills to support & train vines

Vines also began to be grown and trained on pergolas

Shelters from wind were erected

Packing kiwifruit

1987 advt promotes new kiwifruit Transit Store at Port Whangarei

In 1970, the first industry body, the Kiwifruit Export Promotion Committee, was formed

In Oct 1977, the New Zealand Kiwifruit Authority (NZKA) was established

It's role included licensing exporters, co-ordinating packaging, & overseeing export trade standards & promotion

The NZKA had no control over sales and marketing activities

In the 1980s this bus in Hamburg, Germany, advertised NZ kiwifruit

New Zealand Horticulture Export Authority (NZHEA) Act 1987 was passed

In 1991, when kiwifruit was exported for first time to Finland, NZKMB developed promotional products

A recyclable Ecopax packaging system & a combination spoon & knife were introduced

The recyclable spoon and knife was called a spife

NZKMB's marketing for Finland also included a new logo and slogan: The World’s finest – New Zealand Kiwifruit.

Following a review of NZHEA, New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI) became operational in July 1994

During 1996/97, Zespri brand was commercially launched & Zespri Group Ltd was created 1 April 2000

Zespri Group Ltd was a separate marketing & sales organisation from NZKMB

Organic as well as conventionally farmed kiwifruit is marketed overseas by Zespri

The brand-name Zespri helps with distinguishing ‘Kiwi’ kiwifruit from the produce grown commercially by other countries

e.g. China, Italy, Iran, Greece, Chile, Turkey, France, USA, , Portugal Japan, Spain & South Korea

The green-fleshed kiwifruit, originally named Actinidia chinensis, was renamed Actinidia deliciosa in 1984

The renaming occurred after botanists examined plants in China

In late 1970s, seeds of A. chinensis were imported from China to breed new types of kiwifruit

In Oct 2008, Zespri started trials of 3 new varieties of gold kiwifruit & one new green variety

The kiwifruit was developed by HortResearch (which became part of Plant & Food Research on 1 Dec 2009)

New cultivar was named Zespri SunGold & has a smooth hairless skin & sweet tropical taste.

See video about the growing of SunGold on vines through to the marketing of this new fruit

In May 2010, Turners & Growers announced the harvest of the first of a new green kiwifruit variety called Summer Kiwi

In Nov 2010, Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (termed Psa) was detected in NZ

Psa rapidly caused widespread and severe impacts to NZ's kiwifruit industry

By July 2012, nearly half of NZ’s kiwifruit orchards suffered loss through Psa infection

Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH), an industry established biosecurity organisation, was formed in Dec 2010

See website: https://kvh.org.nz/

KVH established a research and development programme involving researchers from NZ & overseas

Psa situation has continued to be monitored with canopy management, spray protectant use, hygiene and movement controls

KVH is working with kiwifruit growers, Zespri, NZKGI) & MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries)

Plus, with the post-harvest and associated industries such as beekeepers, pollen providers, nurseries & contractors

Zespri planned to replace Zespri Gold, with the more Psa-resistant SunGold in 2012

In April 2012, Kiwifruit New Zealand gave approval for Turners & Growers to trial gold variety in Asia

19 Oct 2012, Russell Lowe (Plant and Food Research) was presented with the Hayward Medal

Medal presented by Kiwfruit Industry Advisory Council for helping to commercialise Gold variety which earned $3 billion

In Aug 2013, Zespri reported SunGold was getting some strong feedback from consumers in international markets

In 2014, a new variety of kiwifruit, known as ENZARed, to be marketed overseas

In 2014, the Kiwifruit Industry Strategy Project (KISP) was established to develop strategy to benefit growers

To help shape the core KISP principles and guidelines, the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) appointed a working group

2021: New native plantings established in Bay of Plenty to support kiwifruit pollination & encourage biodiversity

2021: Zespri reported twice as many bids as licenses that year, which resulted in record prices for gold & red varieties