Kiwi Market Digest w42

Validated Forecasts for Kiwifruit Production Volumes

The forecasts discussed in the last annual conference of the International Kiwifruit Organisation have proven their accuracy, with farmers and institutions confirming that there will be a drop of about 4% in the total European kiwifruit production, primarily due to Italy's projected 15% decrease in national production.

A significant factor in this decline in production volumes in Italy is the “Moria” disease. This disease is vastly impacting kiwifruit plantations, especially the Hayward variety, consequently solidifying prices at the current high levels.

Hayward Harvesting Season in Greece Officially Begins

Greek law imposes a minimum Brix level of 6.2 degrees for kiwifruit to be legally harvested. The Hayward variety of kiwifruit, which is the most commonly grown in Greece, usually meets the minimum requirement for harvest during the 42nd week of the year (current week). This is why, as per the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Germany, Greek kiwifruit volumes traded in the markets are expected to increase significantly from this week onwards.

But a decrease in production volumes is expected in Greece as well, at about 5%, which is much lower than in Italy. Greek farmers can stay optimistic under these market circumstances since their product could fill the gap created by the scarce Italian produce. And their positive overview is currently reassured by the unexpected demand their product has been facing in the last few days.

 Quality Prospects

End-consumer complaints about low-quality products are still present, turning consumers away from Italian and Greek produce. While the harvest season reaches its peak, this phenomenon is expected to fade, as new produce entering the distribution chains will be more mature. We expect consumption level prospects to remain positive, given the robust positive consumption trends we studied in the previous article.

Price Movements

The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Germany shared its last report yesterday, regarding the trading prices in the main wholesale markets in Germany. As more European produce is entering the markets, prices are slightly falling. In the following graphs, we track the week-to-week mean price progress of Greek and Italian kiwifruit of the 25/27 and 30/33 calibers. 

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 you 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 at the optimal time, preventing damage to their brand and retaining customers' interest in their product, and B2B buyers can source the product that best matches their quality needs and budget.