Greece Is Taking the Lead in Kiwifruit Distribution

Over the past 2 weeks Zespri panellists in West European markets returned reports of bad quality product and losses for kiwifruit of New Zealand origin, especially yellow kiwifruit. Consequently, Greek exporters seem to be taking the lead in distribution especially of yellow varieties. Multiple requests have been accepted to update supply contracts especially for US, Argentinian and Asian retailers earlier than ever, even before the end of August.

The only downside of the 2022 Greek season is the small sizes of kiwifruit. It seems to be a general problem for all the European kiwi producing countries including Portugal, France, and Italy. This will create a large price gap between bigger and small sized kiwis. This may also lead to a supply gap in some markets in Asia and North America. Consumers might also come to realise that small and cheaper kiwi have no less taste or nutritional value compared to bigger sizes.