Golden kiwifruit varieties have progressively become a consumer favorite on the world stage. So is the case for Europe, where large growers like Zespri and Primland have already invested in increasing their production volumes out of Italy, Greece, France, and Spain. 

Primland, which just finished its Chilean season with 4.4 million pounds shipped, is now starting its Oscar gold kiwifruit season in Spain, France, and Greece. 

“This year, for the Northern Hemisphere we project a production volume of around 750 tons for our Oscar Gold kiwi variety,” Jean-Baptiste Pinel, director of Primland tells FreshFruitPortal.com.

The company is also ramping up its production of the Oscar Red, which is still growing in “very young trees,”  production volumes are projected to reach 25 tons.

Regarding the green kiwi, Pinel notes that “it is being harvested right now, and regardless of heavy rains, we had optimal weather conditions this season therefore we are projecting an increase in production volumes year-on-year reaching ten thousand tons out of Europe.”

Consumer trends

Regarding consumption, Pinel says they have noticed an increase in consumer demand for the Golden kiwi because of its sweetness and slight tartness compared to the green kiwifruit.

However, demand for green kiwi has not increased because of its high price and the fact that it's still in its early harvesting period. 

Markets

Primland kiwis are currently being shipped outside of Europe. In Asia, volumes are headed to Thailand, Vietnam, and China. In North America, Canada and the U.S.A. are also importing some volume as well as Brazil. 

Future projects

“Our main focus right now is to grow the amount of crops we have in France for all our varieties, that’s what we are investing in. Secondly, we are bettering our relationship with our European growers in Spain, Greece, and France to satisfy the increasing demand for our Oscar Gold kiwi,” says Pinel.