The kiwifruit export year ended just 200,000 trays short of 100 million, Zespri says.

The total shipments are equivalent to 3.3 billion single pieces of kiwifruit.

The export season used 59 charter vessels and 5616 containers.

Zespri says forecast grower returns are set to increase $46.8 million to $825.8 million compared with last year.

The shipping season began earlier than ever with a shipment to Japan on March 22 and set loading records in July at the port of Tauranga.
 

 Zespri Group chief executive Tony Nowell has resigned from the kiwifruit company and will leave at the end of this month.

Mr Nowell wished to focus more widely on the development of the broader New Zealand food industry, the country's growing international trade opportunities and personal community interests, Zespri said today.

Lain Jager, Zespri's general manager supply chain, had been appointed acting chief executive from July 1.