The world’s first and third largest kiwifruit exporting nations have formed a strategic alliance to develop international awareness and provide promotional support for their fruit.
The presidents of the Chilean Kiwifruit Committee (CKC) and the Kiwi Fruit of Italy Consortium will sign a co-operation agreement on the first day of Fruit Logistica in February, to forge a joint way forward for their industries.
According to Kiwi Fruit of Italy’s president Alessandro Fornari: “We have talked for some time at events such as international forums and it has become increasingly clear that Chile and Italy have common kiwifruit challenges and opportunities to address,” he said. “It started off with discussions about technical issues, but both sides have recognised the benefits of sharing knowledge, information and expertise, as well as providing a united front to customers around the world.”
The alliance will represent both organisations’ member producers and exporters in key markets and Carlos Cruzat, president of the Chilean Kiwifruit Committee, believes there will be winners along the supply chain. “Both countries are strong in different international markets and will benefit from the experience and expertise that their partners have built up over many years of leading the kiwifruit industry,” he said.
Italy is the largest exporter of kiwifruit globally and has also traditionally been the stronger in Europe, while Chile has a healthy market in the Americas and South East Asia. “While our growers and exporters remain the marketers of the fruit, we will work together with them to enhance their very successful existing relationships around the world and support the fruit with awareness-building initiatives and promotions designed to tap into the potential we have to raise sales by delivering more consistent fruit over a longer season to distributors and importers in several continents,” said Cruzat.
The members of both organizations in their respective countries have agreed to adhere to a quality protocol that takes into account the differing natural conditions in which kiwifruit is grown. “We can both learn from the ways our growers have produced kiwifruit over many years,” said Fornari. “There are similarities of course, but the soil conditions and climates are very different and I think to formally collaborate to improve the performance of our kiwifruit is in many ways a natural progression.
“This agreement will create the platform for long-term co-operation to meet the international market’s requirement for consistently high-quality kiwifruit, in terms of eating experience and all-round performance.
According to Cruzat, ““In markets around the world, we want the message to be loud and clear – we are forming an extremely beneficial kiwifruit agreement that gives you viable partners to source a nutritious, great tasting quality kiwifruit that can be enjoyed by consumers, distributors and retailers alike, across a large proportion of every year.”
