Kiwifruit industry in New Zealand Kiwifruit industry in New Zealand Kiwifruit or kiwi is a major horticultural export earner for New Zealand. New Zealand developed the first commercially viable kiwifruit and developed export markets, creating the demand for the fruit that exists today. Today New Zealand is the third largest kiwifruit producing country, next to China and Italy, and holds approximately 30% of the market share. In the 2008-2009 season the value of New Zealand kiwifruit exports was NZ$1.45 billion. Cultivation of the fuzzy kiwifruit spread from China in the early 20th century, when seeds were introduced to New Zealand by Mary Isabel Fraser, the
Actinidiaceae to four genera could be placed within the Actinidiaceae. Micromorphological characters have confirmed that "Sladenia" does not belong in the Actinidiaceae. Furthermore, biological characteristics of the cells, and molecular evidence have confirmed the three genera currently circumscribed in the Actinidiaceae, "Clematoclethra", "Saurauia", and "Actinidia", do indeed form a monophyletic group. Actinidiaceae The Actinidiaceae are a small family of flowering plants commonly known as the Chinese gooseberry family. The family has three genera and about 360 species and is a member of the order Ericales. They are temperate and subtropical woody vines, shrubs, and trees, native to Asia ("Actinidia" or kiwifruit,