Greek Harvest Season Overview and Expectations
Based on the discussions held with many of our kiwifruit-producing partners, the harvesting season in Greece this year will end earlier than anticipated. In particular, for smaller-scale producers, the harvest will be completed by the end of the holiday season. Meanwhile, we expect the more significant players to finish harvesting by late March to early April.
With our extensive experience in the kiwifruit market, both in Greece and internationally, we can confidently predict that February will mark the start of a period of significant price hikes. Industry experts are already estimating producer prices as high as 2.00€/kg.
That is because, as the availability of Greek fruit will have peaked with no prospects of further expansion (since there will be no further production for the year), the expectations of everyone for imminent kiwifruit scarcity will boost market transactions and with it the current prices.
Price Updates
The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture shared its latest update on the conditions in the main wholesale markets in Germany in the previous week. In our previous digest, we mentioned that the availability of kiwifruit offerings had increased for B2B buyers due to the introduction of Italian red kiwis in the markets. This week, green kiwi supply has surged due to the arrival of large cargos of 10 kg loose samples from Italy and Greece, leading to a drop in prices for all kiwifruit of the aforementioned origins, reversing the previous week's movements.
Increasing Traction for Hayward Alternatives
The production of yellow kiwifruit has been excellent this season. Producers of golden kiwifruit in France and Italy have experienced a significant increase in their yields, even up to 33% for some varieties. This marks a positive change from the trend of previous years, especially in the Moria-stricken Italian orchards.
It will be interesting to see how consumers respond to the increase in availability of kiwifruit varieties such as SunGold. There are various studies making numerous claims on the health benefits of their consumption, so there is no reason not to expect an increase in their consumption levels, even if it comes out of pure curiosity.
The introduction of yellow kiwifruit as a new fruit option will benefit consumers, giving them a wider range of choices and flavors to consider, while producers can take advantage of this shift in consumer preferences, as yellow kiwi is easier to produce in certain habitats. Meanwhile, it can help them diversify their production portfolio and mitigate the risks of poor yields due to adverse weather conditions. Ultimately, fresh produce wholesalers and food production units using kiwifruit as raw material could benefit through the prospect of expanding their product portfolio, something that would enable them to expand their activity to new markets.
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.