Despite a late start to Chile's 2024 kiwi season, the country still expects to export 130,500 tons of kiwi this season, confirmed Carlos Cruzat, president of the Chilean Fruit Kiwi Committee. The 7 to 10-day delay of the campaign has not altered the amount of fruit available or generated pressure among producers to start harvesting prematurely.
The campaign was delayed because the fruit had not reached the optimal Brix levels to start the harvest. However, the firmness of the fruit remains within normal ranges, although the dry matter shows a slight delay. Despite this, the production forecast remains stable.
Peak exports are evaluated from February, with the departure of the first yellow kiwis. Up to week 12, Chile had exported about 1,947 tons, i.e. 40% less than in the same period of last year. The delay is also reflected in the Kiwi Management System, which has released significantly fewer maturity units than in the last three years.
This delay, attributed to adverse weather conditions, is expected to normalize towards the first half of April. This means most of the harvest will happen in April and should conclude towards the second half of May. The quality of the fruit is expected to be good, with adequate resistance to possible rains.
Producers and exporters are taking a responsible approach, waiting for the fruit to reach the appropriate ripeness parameters before harvesting it to obtain better quality and more durable kiwis.
The international market shows an early interest in Chilean kiwis due to the scarcity of supply in Europe and the northern hemisphere. However, more intense competition is expected with the arrival of a significant volume of kiwis from New Zealand. Thus, Chile's kiwis must stand out for their flavor and other characteristics valued by consumers.
The sector expects a good demand, with particular interest from India, the United States, Europe, and Latin America. It's hard to replicate the success of last season, but producers expect it will be a positive season, maintaining the trend of the last five years. This year, fruit sizes are more dispersed and there's a more balanced presence of large and small fruits.
Source: mundoagro.cl