PRESS RELEASE May 22, 2019. Chilean Kiwifruit season has arrived, with nearly 11,000 tons of kiwifruit shipped to North America season to date. Having raised harvesting parameters significantly in recent years, the Chilean Kiwifruit Committee is now ready to embark on its inaugural marketing campaign for North America. Retail and social media promotions will be running from June through September.
For the Chilean Kiwifruit industry, the exciting news of the 2019 season centers on dry matter, which has risen to historically high levels this year. Dry matter is essentially everything in the fruit, minus the water. It is an important factor in delivering quality fruit with consistent ripeness all along the supply chain, from the orchards straight through to retail.
States Carlos Cruzat, Chairman of the Chilean Kiwifruit Committee, “There is a direct link between dry matter and sweetness of fruit. With the high dry matter we’re seeing throughout the industry, we feel confident that consumers are going to have a great experience with Chilean kiwifruit, resulting in repeat purchases and kiwifruit category growth for retailers.”
Chile started shipping small volumes of green kiwifruit to North America in Week 12, with weekly shipments steadily increasing and continuing into September. Fruit sizing is larger than the previous year, with the majority of volume falling between Size 30 and 33. A dry, hot summer and increasingly stricter harvesting parameters by Chilean Kiwifruit Committee members, have yielded high quality, more uniform fruit with strong storage potential.
The Chilean Fresh Fruit Association’s (CFFA) merchandisers are finalizing retail promotional programs, both in-store and online, that will take place between June and August. According to Karen Brux, Managing Director for the CFFA, all retail promotions have one common objective: demonstrating how kiwifruit can contribute to a retailer’s bottom line.
States Brux, “Kiwifruit is an amazing fruit. From its fresh, tangy-sweet taste to its incredible nutrition and health benefits, it really has everything. Our promotions will generate increased kiwifruit sales and shine light on the potential of kiwifruit to become a bigger player in the produce department.”
In addition to retail programs, the CFFA is also undertaking an extensive social media program, sharing nutrition info, usage ideas, new recipes, recipe videos and season updates with their 350,000 Facebook fans. Social media promotions will run throughout the season, with both consumer and trade e-newsletters keeping the focus on Chilean Kiwifruit. Media dietitians will further extend consumer reach with TV segments in major markets.
Chilean Kiwifruit is available now through October. More product and promotion information can be found at fruitsfromchile.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Karen Brux
Chilean Fresh Fruit Association
kbrux@fruitsfromchile.com
(650) 654-0777
