Chilean fruit grower association Fedefruta has said kiwifruit exporters saw their lowest returns last season since 2011, in part due to increased competition.

The group noted rising global supply levels - especially from the likes of Italy and New Zealand - had been problematic. 

"As a consequence of this, the value of shipments contracted strongly," the organization said.

According to a recent study, the per-kilo net return was US$0.40, marking a 22% decline over 2015 levels and a 62% decline from 2014.

"Even more worrying, is the gap between the eight exporters analyzed, which showed a difference of US$0.23 per kilo, with the highest value being US$0.52 per kilo and the lowest value being US$0.30 per kilo, in the case of category 1 fruit," it said.

"Faced with these large differences, which can radically change the fortunes of a producer, the recommendation is to realize a comparative study to determine the exporter's sales management strategy in the face of competition."

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