Kiwifruit 2010 it was found in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty kiwifruit orchards in the North Island. Scientists reported they had worked out the strain of PSA affecting kiwifruit from New Zealand, Italy and Chile originated in China. In 2016, global production of kiwifruit was 4.3 million tonnes, led by China with 56% of the world total (table). Italy and New Zealand were other major producers. In China, kiwifruit is grown mainly in the mountainous area upstream of the Yangtze River, as well as Sichuan. Kiwifruit exports rapidly increased from the late 1960s to early 1970s in New Zealand. By 1976,
Kiwifruit industry in New Zealand In 1952, MacLoughlin approached the New Zealand Fruit Federation who agreed to facilitate the shipping and marketing of the fruit to United States markets, this was New Zealand’s first export of Chinese gooseberries. Due to pioneering research into the transportability of the fruit by John Pilkington Hudson and others at the agriculture department in Wellington, this was the first international export of the kiwifruit. As the local popularity of this fruit increased, New Zealanders discarded the local Chinese name for the fruit ("yáng táo") in favor of the name "Chinese gooseberry". Among the exporters was the prominent produce company Turners