Unfavorable Weather Delays Harvest of Greek Kiwi and Affects Quality and Size

According to Theodoros Damvakaris, Tridge Origination Manager in Greece, adverse weather significantly impacted the quality and size of kiwi production in 2022. While warm weather delayed the increase in Brix level for green kiwi varieties, rainy weather delayed the harvest of yellow kiwis, which usually starts in the first weeks of October in Greece. The late harvest will push back plans for export, with the first containers for cross-Atlantic shipment expected to leave Greece at the end of October for yellow varieties and at the beginning of November for the Hayward variety.

Adverse weather didn’t impact just the quality of kiwi production in Greece but also the size. In early spring, rains affected the flower pollination process. 75-80% of the fruit for yellow varieties and 65-70% for the Hayward variety are expected to be size 33 to 42. At the same time, these percentages were much smaller in the previous season, with a more significant amount of larger-size kiwis. The small size of kiwifruits seems to be a general problem for all European kiwi producers, including Portugal, France, and Italy, in the the2022/23 season. Increased supply of smaller-sized kiwis will create a significant price gap between bigger and smaller caliber fruit, ultimately leading to a supply gap in some markets in Asia and North America.

Source: Tridge

In 2022, Greek traders will have one more market to count on, Brazil. The Greek government, after applying for approval for kiwi export back in 2014, finally, on July 22, signed phytosanitary protocols, and the first shipments are expected to reach Brazil around November 22. Greece is moving up in the global ranks for kiwifruit distribution, especially for yellow varieties. This is mainly due to bad quality and losses for kiwifruit from New Zealand. The main importing markets for Greek kiwis in 2021 were Italy, Spain, Germany, and the US. The US (1655.12%) and Canada (2944.75%) marked the highest 5-year growth in import values from Greece, while Vietnam, South Korea, and Taiwan are other markets showing potential for trade expansion.

Like other EU producers, farmers in Greece are also coping with increased input costs and rising energy, packing, and logistics costs. According to Theodoros Damvakaris, consumers this season might also realize that smaller and cheaper kiwis have no less taste or nutritional value than bigger sizes.