NZ firm mulls growing kiwifruit in Shaanxi

One of New Zealand's largest producers of kiwifruit is considering the possibility of growing its variety of the fruit in China as part of a plan to source it from local growers and ensure a year-round supply.

Zespri International Ltd announced the plan on Thursday in Shanghai at the launch of the 2016 kiwifruit season, which is expected to set a record for sales.

"We anticipate sales of around 24 million trays in 2016, up about one-third from the 18 million trays sold last season," said CEO Lain Jager.