Two months into the season, Chinese kiwi prices are resisting overall market downswing. The Chinese kiwi season runs from October until February. Mr. ShaoChun Wu of Gui Zhou Gui Ren Guo from Guizhou county in the East of China and Miss Wei Ya of the ZhouZhi Fruit Development Bureau near Xian discuss the season.
Mr Mu: “the entire Chinese fruit market is experiencing a weak year. Our kiwi business has been affected too. Overall kiwi sales have come down. An exception to this form premium kiwi varieties, for which there is still demand. We grow Guichang kiwis on 400 hectares. We produce kiwis in a traditional way. We are currently applying to a national Green Food certificate. A Green Food certificate is given out to companies that produce in a clean way. Our fields are located far away from big cities. There is no pollution and our soil is of good quality. I do not see additional value in obtaining an Organic Food certificate. We can draw customers by explaining how pure the environment is where we grow our crop”.
“Guichang is a sweet kiwi variety. We used to sell our crop mainly locally. Now we also supply wholesale markets and supermarkets. Since 2009, we have supplied buyers in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. We are currently trying to launch our export business. Guichang kiwis are known for their quality and taste on the market. That is why I am not too worried about our sales in the coming months.”
When talking about market developments, Miss Ya says, “compared to other fruits, the kiwi market has not been doing so badly. Production has increased, but kiwi is remaining a popular fruit on the market. We are a government organisation and we are doing our best to help our producers find potential market and assist them whenever they need this. I believe all these advantages will contribute to a bright future of our local kiwi industry.”
“We provide support, financially and technically, to promote our local producers and the development of our fruit industry. We help producers apply for production qualifications and complete export procedures. Our region counts many kiwi producers. We are proud to say that 60% of our fruit is grown organically. The remaining 40% is grown in traditional ways. Most producers supply wholesalers and supermarkets in Dongbei, Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.”
