The kiwifruit is doing really well in the Indian market, says Saurabh Tanwar of Fruitways. The company exports apples and kiwis from countries like Poland, Chile and Greece. “In India, the demand for kiwis has always been there. As we always say, there are three principle fruits that India imports. The first is apples, the second is kiwi and the third is apples again. However, the popularity of kiwifruit has grown compared to the early days. It’s now seen as one of the fruits that contains the most nutrients. Demand of kiwi is popularized now mostly in North India, selling anywhere from big cities to small villages.”
The Hayward green variety seems to be the most popular among consumers in India, as this kiwi can be stored for a longer period, Tanwar explains: “Greek kiwis are much appreciated in India as the quality is of a high standard, even compared to the Italian kiwis. India has taken a liking to the Hayward green variety, as the shelf-time is longer and it can survive the extreme temperatures in India. Other golden kiwi, red kiwi or Sun Gold won’t survive very long and even the consumer can store the Hayward Green in their refrigerator for more than two weeks. Therefore it’s logical this is the most sold variety in India. If we compare the price of Greek kiwis to the Italian kiwis, the Greek ones are more affordable.”
Once the European season is done, Fruitways will focus on the kiwis from Chile. “The price for Chilean kiwis was rather high last season. The average price of Chile kiwi was 21$ to 23$ Mumbai CNF, but Chilean kiwi are highly in demand because by the time Chile starts their season, Europe and Iran have no kiwis available. In general, Greek kiwis have performed a lot better than expected, and I believe if the Iranian kiwi would be allowed back into the market, it would impact the Italian kiwis more than the Greek ones. For us, the focus will be on Greek and Chilean kiwis over the coming months,” Tanwar concludes.
