Greek kiwis are now available in Italy. The produce is in cardboard crates and divided into two categories. The sugar content was not measured the fruits were woody and not ready for consumption. Prices hovered between €1.60 and €2/kg depending on grade.
Kiwi cultivation is becoming increasingly popular in Greece, even though the rhythm with which new orchards are planted seems to have decreased since 2016. Currently almost 9,000 hectares are estimated. Forecasts for 2017 talk about 185,000 tons, i.e. 15% more than the past season.
A rather hefty share of the Greek production continues to be exported, also because the domestic market absorbs low volumes (under 15,000 tons a year).
The issue remains the same: what is the benefit of placing on the market produce from the northern hemisphere that is not ideally ripe (albeit of an early green variety)? It must be stressed, however, that kiwis are in demand all year round and there are periods such as this one when there is no more produce from the southern hemisphere (or its quality is no longer what requested) and that from the northern hemisphere is not ready yet.
"There is no ethics, just mere speculation. People look at profit margins without giving a thought to quality. Some don't care how consumers will react or if consumption will drop. If demand is lively, they don't have the courage to say it's too early and so they harvest anyway because they're afraid of losing clients. The fact is, though, that clients should be educated rather than indulged no matter what," suggests a kiwi trader from northern Italy.