US: Kiwi harvest under way

Harvest of a fuzzy, brown, green-fleshed exotic fruit grown in the valley for a unique market has begun. Only about 100 acres are dedicated to growing kiwifruit in Madera County by several different growers. Other California counties grow much more.

"Kiwi is our main commodity," said fruit distributor and marketing agent, Kurt Cappelluti of Stellar Distributing in Madera.

Cappelluti, who has been in the kiwi business for nearly 20 years, said he distributes kiwi from growers in central California including Madera, as well as New Zealand, Italy, Chile and Greece.

In fact, Cappelluti company will harvest 10 acres of organic kiwifruit in the Madera Ranchos area Monday and Tuesday. Madera's largest grower, Agriland Farming Company, harvested 54 acres last week.

"Stellar Distributing distributes nearly 2 million boxes of kiwifruit worldwide," Cappelluti said.

Though California Kiwifruit Commission anticipates a 6.2 million tray production of kiwifruit for the 2007-08, the estimate is a million boxes shy of last year's count.

According to Cappelluti, boxes sell between $14 and $15 each.

Typically, there are three trays (layers) used to stabilize packed fruit in each box. Boxes weigh approximately 20 pounds.

Though 98 percent of the U.S. production of kiwifruit is in California, on the worldwide market place, it is very small.

"In terms of United States, we grow most of it in the Central Valley, but it's catching on more because of the fruit's health benefits; it's high in potassium, antioxidants and vitamin C," said Alex Ott, director of California Kiwifruit Commission.

Cappelluti contends the greatest challenge in kiwi production and management is the physical energy it requires for each and every acre.

"It's such a hands-on crop. Unlike almonds, wine grapes or other commodities; we can't go mechanical. Ninety-eight percent of the work must be done manually. All pruning, tying canes and thinning is done by hand. And with minimum wage going up to $8 Jan. 1, it's going to cost a lot more per acre to produce," he said.

Cappelluti said it also gets harder to find good fruit-bearing wood the older the vine gets.

But Cappelluti agrees, kiwifruit is gaining recognition as a health food, and having a long storage life is another favorable attribute.

"Americans don't eat very well in general. It's kind of a joke. We sell five times as much to Canadians," he said.

Kiwi is sold now through April and May, sometimes even as late as June and July due to its long storage life, Ott said.

In North America, South America and Europe, people typically refer to the fruit simply as kiwi but Alex Ott of the California Kiwifruit Commission said the correct name is kiwifruit. Originally called the Chinese Gooseberry, it was renamed for marketing appeal in the mid-20th century. Native to southern China, it was called kiwi after a fuzzy indigenous bird of New Zealand where the fruit began growing in early 1900s prior its worldwide distribution.


Source: maderatribune.com

Publication date: 11/1/2007

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