Indian fruit importer IG International is ramping up Iranian kiwifruit imports this year to complement supply from its existing Northern Hemisphere partners in Italy and Greece. 

IG director Tarun Arora tells www.freshfruitportal.com the company just recently sold out of Chilean kiwifruit, which saw a huge increase in volume imported to India this year.

He says around 800 metric tons (MT) of Chilean kiwifruit were shipped in the previous season, compared to 3,400MT this year of which IG has distributed around 2,400MT.

"On the Chilean kiwifruit we’re totally sold out and we received our first Iranian kiwifruit in the last week," he says.

"We are now planning to receive significant volume because volume have increased 400-450MT of kiwifruit every week.

"Certainly it will have a very big impact because when you're in the middle of the season and the brix [sweetness measure] is more acceptable, and if you’re getting good quality, I don't see any significant difference in the low-cost origins and the high-cost origins."

He claims what IG International is receiving from Iran, Greece and Italy is "probably at par" with other origins.

"The only difference is maybe it’s darker," he says.

"As far as the experience of the kiwifruit is concerned they’re both offering the same value; the only difference is depending on when the fruit is arriving."

Arora says Iranian kiwifruit has been coming into the Indian market for the last few years, but until now most of the volume has not been selected to the highest of standards.

"First of all there is no protocol in Iran that can check and make sure whether the Brix is right when they are harvesting the kiwifruit. That is what there fundamental problem is because they actually don’t wait for kiwifruit to ripen on the tree to have the right brix and diameter," he says.

"We make sure we give them the specs of the brix at which they should harvest and the diameter – that is the reason we’re able to get the much better quality and the right value out of Iran, Greece and Italy.

"In Italy we work with Gullino and they do a very strong job. In Greece we work with Proto which is one of the the leaders there in Greece.

In Iran IG has deals with small growers and exporters who are willing to work with the company to get the quality required, Arora says.

"We’ve got a team of people at the time of dispatch which is making sure whatever quality we’re buying is with the right brix and diameter – as long as you’re able to do that correctly, you’re able to give satisfaction to the consumer with much better value."

The executive adds prices have gone down significantly in 2016, with New Zealand's premium margins staying just tightly ahead of the Chilean competition.

"Until last year the kiwifruit coming out of New Zealand was fetching US$20 a box, and now it’s fetching US$15 a box.

"So as soon as competition comes in you’re already seeing the reduction in price.

"If you see it for Chilean growers it's US$14-15 - the Chilean kiwifruit is at par with New Zealand kiwifruit for the average realization back to the grower to Chile from the Indian market.

"IG is already in the mind of the consumer and it comes with a very aggressive price tag with it – we have a weekly strategy on how to promote it and that’s why I’ve already sold out."

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