An importer and exporter of fresh produce based in China, Altaifresh has partnered with Qifeng Fruit, a large grower, to strengthen their kiwifruit program. They now have access to greater volumes of Chinese kiwifruit and will be responsible for exporting the fruit abroad. “We had a new shareholder partner with us this year, and they're the leading enterprise in the kiwi industry in China,” explained Mike Wang, Business Manager of Altaifresh. “Qifeng Fruit is a grower, packer and seller of kiwifruit that sells in many ways throughout China. They will continue doing domestic sales and we will export their fruit to Russia and markets in Southeast Asia.” Their greater emphasis on kiwis comes as Chinese consumers have increasingly snapped up the fruit over the last several years. With the health benefits of kiwis gaining wider exposure, consumers have embraced the fruit.
“The market is moving where there are bigger and bigger volumes of fruit every year,” said Mike. “A great change took place with companies improving the packaging of kiwis, they developed the market, and consumers realized the benefits of the fruit.” He credited large companies, like Zespri, which has a large global marketing presence, as laying the groundwork for the boom in kiwis. They also continue to raise awareness among consumers and have established kiwis as a premium commodity that can command robust prices.
Altaifresh will source their kiwis from Mei County in the Shaanxi Province, which has a climate well-suited to producing very sweet fruit. The high altitude and wide difference between day and night temperatures means that fruit gets plenty of chilling hours. The clay-like soil also imparts special characteristics to the fruit. One of the varieties that Altaifresh gets from the region is the Xuxiang variety, which is similar to the Hayward, but sweeter.
“The sugar content for the Xuxiang is very high, with brix of around 18,” said Mike. In addition to the Xuxiang and Hayward varieties, Altaifresh also exports the Hongyang kiwi, which has a red heart and green flesh, and the Jinyan kiwi, which is a golden variety. The company also exports Xuxiang and Hayward organic kiwifruit in in late September or beginning of October They sell their kiwis in 3.3-kilogram flats and 10-kilogram boxes.
For more information:
Mike Wang
Altaifresh Limited
Tel: +86 13925073993
Email: mw@altaifresh.com
altaifresh.com
or
Shaanxi Qifeng Fruit Co., Ltd
Tel: +86 917 555 0111
www.sxqfgy.com