Official Data on Greek Kiwifruit Exports
The Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food has released the official metrics regarding the exports of kiwi to various countries this season and up to Nov 17, in comparison to the same period last year.
In the 2022-23 season, Italy, Spain, and the U.S. continue to be the leading importers of Greek kiwi.
The U.S. has notably increased its contribution after Greek exporters began implementing stricter Q.A. standards and protocols, resulting in an uptick in export approvals. This is a positive result of increased transparency in the agricultural trade sector.
The latest report confirms some of the predictions we made in previous newsletters. The most significant changes in the report are related to India, where the market has been flooded with cheap Iranian produce, leading to a steep decline in imports of other origins. As a result, Greek kiwifruit exports to India have dropped by 55.59% YoY, causing India to fall from the 4th to the 11th position among the main importers of the product.
Due to a poor production year in France, there has been a significant change in the market. However, the industry has rebounded following some innovative restructuring, which we've previously discussed. To meet the high demand for kiwifruit, French imports of Greek kiwifruit have increased by 61.09%. As a result, France is now the 4th largest importer of Greek kiwifruit, helping to bridge the domestic shortfall of supply.
Overall, the total exports of Greek kiwifruit have increased by 33.43% YoY, attesting to the ever-improving prospects of the domestic sector.
Price Updates
The latest update from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture mentions that there has been an expansion in the kiwifruit offerings in the main domestic wholesale markets. More specifically, red kiwis of Italian origin have made their entrance to the distribution chains, providing an alternative to green and yellow kiwifruit varieties that presented the only European option so far.
Furthermore, the European kiwifruit range has expanded to include the first laid Hayward from France. As a point of reference, below we reference the mean kiwifruit prices in German wholesale markets, for fruit of caliber 25/27 and of Greek, Italian, and French origin.
As the above graph clearly shows, the Greek produce remains a cost-effective alternative to the other European offerings. Also, mean prices have picked up a positive trend, due to the approaching end of the kiwifruit harvesting season in Greece and the subsequent impending drop in available supply.
Updated Data on Production Volumes in Verona, Italy
The recent data from Verona, a kiwi-producing area in northern Italy, proves the accuracy of estimates indicating a steep drop in production volume.
In more detail, the adverse weather conditions in previous months and the expanding doom caused by the "Moria" disease have led to the plummetting of local kiwifruit production by 30% to 50% YoY according to domestic media sources.
Wikifarmer's Edge
To facilitate the interest of both farmers and B2B buyers of fresh produce, Wikifarmer negotiates with a worldwide network of suppliers to secure a steady supply of all the main kiwifruit varieties at reasonable prices. Our team can help both sides with price negotiation, credit terms, and logistics and transportation arrangements. We also implement strict Quality Assurance procedures, making sure that producers provide us with all certificates that prove their claims about their products, and that all relevant analyses take place.
This way, producers can market their products, and B2B buyers can source the product that best matches their quality needs and budget.