“The kiwi market is stagnant – the Italian produce is lacking, but there is a lot of Greek produce in Europe so, until these volumes are sold, there will be no room for domestic fruit,” explains Raffaele Bucella, sales manager for Op GranFrutta Zani.
“Considering that the latest data report -25% of Italian kiwis with respect to 2015, I expected a better start. It is true, though, that we have still plenty of time, so we’re not worried. Nonetheless, we need to be alert – Greek kiwis are not better than ours, but their prices are lower. The top range is usually in the hands of Zespri. In between, we find all the Italian produce, a fact that is actually penalising our kiwis.”
Once the Greek produce leaves the market, there will be room abroad for Italian kiwis. Exports overseas have been lower than last year because of produce from New Zealand.
“The quality of our kiwis is excellent and so is shelf-life. I believe and hope that exports will pick up in the next few weeks.”
GranFrutta Zani exports around 70% of its kiwis. In addition to Europe, fruit is shipped to South America (Argentina and Brazil), Asia and Middle East. The Italian market is mostly represented by retailers. The highest quality kiwis are sold under the Solatìa brand.
Source: Fresh Plaza
