“Our expectations about the starting kiwi season are positive. This year, Qifeng will acquire 20,000 tons of fresh kiwi fruit. Kiwi production in China is growing, especially in Shaanxi, Sichuan, Guizhou and Henan province. Total Chinese domestic production is estimated to account for more than 100,000 hectares. The kiwi market is becoming increasingly competitive,” explains Nemo, Marketing Manager at Qifeng, a prominent kiwi grower and marketeer from Shaanxi province.
Qifeng grows the green Xuxiang, Cuixiang and Hayward kiwi varieties, red Hongyang and yellow Golden kiwis (Chinese name: Jin yan). The companies largest product is the Xuxiang kiwi, which it grows in Shaanxi province. Second biggest variety is the Hayward kiwi. The company sources kiwis from Shaanxi and Sichuan province. Qifeng exports its Golden and Hayward kiwi’s. The new Shaanxi kiwi season will start in the end of August. The earliest available variety will be the Hongyang kiwi in late August, followed by the Xuxiang, Cuixiang Hayward and Jinyan varieties in September.
Zespri's presence in China
“Qifeng exports Xuxiang and Hayward kiwis to Russia and a number of Asian markets, including wholesale markets in Thailand and Vietnam. Total exports are growing and our team has recently concluded a number of business trips to Dubai and Malaysia. In addition, foreign companies are growing their presence in China. Zespri, for example, is a strong exporter of New Zealand kiwis. Overall, I perceive these to be positive developments. Zespri’s growth and marketing cloud is strengthening the domestic kiwi market. Their export season does not overlap with domestic production, and as such the company is not a direct competitor to us.”
“Online sales activities are becoming increasingly important for Qifeng. The company’s online sales target for 2016 is set to 100 million Yuan (equal to 13.5 million Euro). The online sales strategy is targeting different end-clients and consumer groups. We sell B2B and B2C. In addition, we are working to roll out a cooperation programme with Tmall. High percentage of customers that bought our product in the past are returning customers. In 2016 we aim to grow our online customer base. Our hope is that Qifeng can grow to become China’s largest online kiwi supplier.”
