In its first Crop Report of the Season, the Chilean Kiwi Committee says a cool summer has resulted in a slow start to the harvest.
According to Simfruit, the 2021 shipping season began in week 8, same as the previous season, with fruits from early varieties such as Green Light, Dori, and Soreli.
Hayward has begun their harvests normally, beginning in week 10, in the northern or coastal regions while the central valley areas are still days away. The committee highlights that current shipments are focused on Latin America, and with time, expects that distributions to Europe, the Far East, and the U.S. will increase.
The committee’s report said, “For this season, we estimate that export volumes will be the same as the previous season, with the pandemic continuing to plague the world, and putting relevance in the healthy consumption and incorporation of fruits and vitamin C content. With lower local supplies in Europe and the U.S., we expect movements in these markets to remain the same or be more active for the southern hemisphere’s season. With an increase of 11 percent in Hayward and 18 percent in Gold kiwis expected in China.”
The report further informs that the Hayward variety makes up nearly 97 percent of the kiwi exported, with 2 percent going to yellow-flesh kiwi, and 1 percent to other varieties.
