The kiwi is a major crop in New Zealand. Over 2 500 producers make their living from this fruit, primarily aimed at the export sector. This country has been a driving force in the development of the kiwi since the mid-20th Century. Originating from China, the first Actinidia chinensis (or Chinese gooseberry) were described in around 1750 by a French Jesuit (P. Le Chéron d’Incarville). Cultivated in New Zealand from 1904 in domestic gardens, and then for commercial purposes from 1940, this fruit took off from the 1950s when New Zealand producers opted to rename it the kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa), after the bird of the same name - an icon of the country - by analogy with its hairy skin. This name would help it sell more readily in the United States, at the time in the grip of the Cold War. It made the final breakthrough in 1974 thanks to an intense commercial campaign. It was this strategy, first adopted by the New Zealand Board and now by Zespri, with the support of a marketing and technical force, which made it possible to build up its export potential to approximately 460 000 t, and to cope with the big challenges which have not been lacking in recent years, with the launch of the yellow-fleshed kiwi and managing Psa.
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