What Is New Zealand’s Most Popular Fruit?

It’s no surprise that New Zealand is a nation packed with fruit lovers.

After all, we have citrus orchards and fertile grape-growing areas in abundance. Not to mention a hearty seasonal supply of kiwifruit, avocadoes, and feijoas.

But what, exactly is the absolute tip-top, most desired, most eaten fruit in New Zealand?

Surprisingly, it's none of the above! But unsurprisingly, it is a tasty, convenient, and affordable option that you probably have sitting in your kitchen right now.

Join us as we unveil New Zealand’s most popular fruit, and a few runners up to boot.

What Is New Zealand’s Most Popular Fruit?

Kiwis Go Bananas For…

You guessed it – kiwis go bananas for… bananas!

Data from Statistics NZ shows that kiwis drop more dough purchasing bananas than any other fruit. We munch our way through around 18kg of them a year (each!), which amounts to roughly two bananas per week.

While some of us may have the odd banana tree in our backyards that yields one or two bunches of small, greenish fruit, bananas generally don’t thrive in our climate, requiring more of a tropical vibe.

Hence, the majority of the bananas consumed in NZ are imported from the Philippines and Ecuador.

In, 2016, Countdown Supermarket’s Trolley Report revealed that New Zealanders collectively spend about $142 million a year on bananas. That is a figure considerably higher than the next fruit on the list – apples (on which we spent around $98.4 million).

The Runners Up…

We know you are not supposed to compare apples and oranges. But, how can we avoid it when they are in the second and third places in the race for New Zealand’s most-loved fruit?!

Although it doesn’t look like they are serious competition to the beloved banana, apples are the second-most popular fruit in New Zealand (with kiwis crunching through $98.4 million worth of them), and oranges third-best (fetching 41.7 million.)

Of course, other favourites rankup there. For example, strawberries and avocados both made it to the top 10 of Countdown’s Trolley Report. Yum!

Our Most Popular Fruit Export

So, New Zealand’s most popular fruit is an imported one, but what about all the delectable fruit we grow right here?

With NZ’s horticulture industry valued at $9.5 billion in 2019, there are sure to be some hard hitters heading out of the country, too.

As you might expect, kiwifruit are our most sought after fruit export, bringing in $2.3 billion in 2019 alone. We export around 545,800 tonnes of the hairy green fruit every year.

Apples are our second-biggest export fruit, with popular NZ brands like Jazz, Envy, and Pacific netting about $829 million per year.

Other NZ fruit of note in demand around the world include avocados, cherries, and blueberries.

Oh, and let’s not forget the good old kiwi grape – although wine isn’t technically a fruit, the wine industry literally couldn’t exist without them. Our wine exports are growing year on year and earn more than $1.8 billion.

So there you have it! Bake ‘em in cakes, muffins, breads, or just enjoy them as a healthy snack on the go – bananas are where it’s at for NZ.

Not quite your cup of tea?

Not to worry, there are plenty more delicious, nutritious, fresh fruits to keep you satisfied. And we have access to a wide variety of them here at Twisted Citrus!

Check out our range of in season fruit and order your box today!