The new kiwi, 100% Made in Italy and exclusively produced and marketed by companies Agrintesa-Alegra, Apofruit Italia, and Orogel Fresco, is set for its debut in multiple European countries.  

With over 600 tonnes of top-quality fruit produced across 300 hectares of land – expected to expand to 500 hectares by 2025 – Dulcis™ is poised to repeat last year’s success in Italy and also find itself in the shopping trolleys of consumers in several new international markets.

This unique kiwi variety was developed by the specialist bio-science enterprise New Plant of Forlì in collaboration with the University of Udine and the University of Bologna. It is grown exclusively by Agrintesa-Alegra, Apofruit Italia, and Orogel Fresco with volumes, this year, expected to nearly triple compared to 2023. As a result, the 2024/25 season will be the biggest commercial test yet for this innovative kiwi cultivar. 

“The 2024 harvest is nearly finished,” confirms Mirco Zanelli, Commercial Director of Apofruit. “We are extremely pleased with both the yields and the quality of the fruit. We anticipate a very positive market response, both in Italy and abroad, thanks to partnerships with retailers in various countries.” 

Mauro Laghi, from Alegra, adds that the kiwi, “dulcis is proving to be a strategic product. Its harvest has fully met our initial expectations, coming 10-15 days earlier than the Hayward variety. This allows us to fill a particularly important commercial window with a high-quality offering, arriving just as the Northern Hemisphere’s production begins to pick up.” 

In addition to being available in Italian fresh produce aisles, this year Dulcis will also be sold in selected European supermarkets, including those in Germany, Belgium and Spain.