Around August 10 the harvest of the red kiwi from Sichuan starts. The red kiwi is the earliest variety in China to ripen. It also is the only kiwi variety that has no hairs.
"Last week we harvested a small sample of the red kiwi. After testing the sweetness and firmness to determine the ripeness, we decided that real harvest can start on August 10. We estimate to keep supplying until the end of September or the beginning of October. After that comes the yellow kiwi," explains Mrs. Liu from Jintaifu Agriculture in Chengdu, Sichuan province.
The harvest time of the red kiwi in 2016 shows no big differences in comparison to previous years, but "due to the cold in early spring, hailstorms and heavy rainfall, the production volume of this year has dropped. We now estimate that we will produce 30% less. This is a considerable reduction in production volume, so a general prediction in the industry is that the buying price will rise."
"The red kiwi from Sichuan is the first in China to ripen. The red kiwi from Shaanxi region for example, needs to wait for half a month before it is ready for harvest and sale. So the Sichuan red kiwi has an advantage in sales timing. At the same time, Sichuan was the first location in China where red kiwis were cultivated. The kiwis benefit from several factors like the soil, the climate and the water sources. It makes the red kiwis produced here even jucier."
Jintaifu Agriculture is located in Datang county in the Pujiang district and covers 133 hectares of kiwi gardens. The main variety cultivated here is the red kiwi. Jintaifu also has a large-scale cold storage that can store 2100 tons of kiwis. Kiwis can be stored here for 2 to 6 months with the guaranteed quality preservation. The main channel for sales is wholesale, supermarkets and chain stores. "During this season, we hope to make a connection with even more middle and high-end sales channels. That way we can improve our standers for cultivation, selection, packaging and storage."
This year we also brought out the brand "Shuxiang Products". While promoting our home brand of kiwis, we also promote some excellent local fruits. The idea is to introduce more Sichuan fruits to the rest of China.
Right now we're promoting a plum variety from Wenchuan. It looks green on the outside with some red and it's firm and sweet to taste. It got a lot of approval from consumers during this years promotional events."
