Reefer boxes help Zespri notch a record

Kiwifruit exporter Zespri completed its 2026 kiwifruit season with the departure of the Whero reefer vessel from the Port of Tauranga on 14 ­October.

The Whero was the 57th charter vessel service used by ­Zespri in 2026, and carried over 1.7 million trays (6,120 tonnes) of kiwifruit for consumers in China.

With the final fruit due to be shipped in reefer containers in October, Zespri closed out its 2026 season with record shipments of around 225 million trays (810,000 tonnes).

Zespri is a big user of chartered reefer vessels, but 2026 saw the exporter increase the percentage of the crop shipped in reefer containers. Data provided to ­WorldCargo News showed Zespri moved 56.5% of the 225 million trays exported in 2026 in reefer containers. This is up 1.5% on the 55% of the 218 million tray crop that was ­containerised in 2025. Depending on the fruit size and ­configuration, a 40ft high cube reefer container holds between 4,000 and 5,000 trays of kiwifruit. This puts Zespri’s reefer container requirements for 2026 at around 20,000 containers.

This story was originally published by World Cargo News. Read the full story at World Cargo News →