Kiwifruit exports exceeded the amount consumed domestically. Outside of Australasia, New Zealand kiwifruits are marketed under the brand-name label, Zespri. In the 1980s, countries outside New Zealand began to export kiwifruit. In Italy, the infrastructure and techniques required to support grape production were adapted to the kiwifruit. This, coupled with being close to the European kiwifruit market, led to Italians becoming the leading producer of kiwifruit in 1989. The growing season of Italian kiwifruit does not overlap much with the New Zealand or the Chilean growing seasons, therefore direct competition between New Zealand or Chile was not a significant factor. In
Kiwifruit of fruit, one male vine for every three to eight female vines is required. Other varieties can self pollinate, but they produce a greater and more reliable yield when pollinated by male kiwifruit vines. Kiwifruit is notoriously difficult to pollinate, because the flowers are not very attractive to the honeybees that farmers generically attempt to hire. This is, in part, because the flowers do not produce nectar. Honeybees are very inefficient pollinators in general, because they visit all species of flower indiscriminately, therefore the pollen needed for one plant is diluted. With Kiwi flowers it's worse, because the bees quickly