How did kiwifruit become the fruit of new zearland?

The kiwifruit is not originally from New Zealand. It is native to China, where it has been grown for over 2,000 years. The fruit is a member of the Actinidia family and is closely related to the gooseberry and the passion fruit.

The Actinidia chinensis plant was brought to New Zealand in 1906 by a schoolteacher named Mary Isabel Fraser. Fraser sent seeds to her sister, who planted them in her orchard in the Bay of Plenty region. The plants thrived in the New Zealand climate and began to produce fruit. In 1923, the first commercial shipment of kiwifruit was sent from New Zealand to the United Kingdom.

The kiwifruit quickly became popular in the UK, and soon other countries began to import the fruit as well. By the 1950s, kiwifruit was being grown commercially in New Zealand and other parts of the world. Today, New Zealand is the largest producer of kiwifruit in the world, producing around 30% of the global supply.