The cooperative, located in Faenza (Emilia-Romagna), works in the production and commercialisation of kiwis and it also maintains relations with the Southern hemisphere to guarantee continuous supplies.
FP: Mr. Bassi, could you tell us when kiwi imports start and how long they last? From which countries do you import kiwis?
FP: Mr. Bassi, could you tell us when kiwi imports start and how long they last? From which countries do you import kiwis?
Francesco Bassi (FB) - Imported produce generally starts to arrive in May, the precise date depends on when the producing countries have started harvesting (end of March - early April). Anyway, in normal production years, we start at the beginning of May with green kiwis from Chile, then with yellow kiwis from New Zealand and finally with green kiwis also from New Zealand.
Chile generally doesn't stock a lot of produce, so it tends to ship everything straight away and we then store it in Italy, even though some Chilean companies have now bought storage equipment and are extending shipping times. Commercialisation takes place until October.
As regards the products from New Zealand, gold kiwis end in November and the green ones end between November and December.
FP - Is there still some Italian produce available? Is the quality still good?
FB - Yes, of course. Quantities depend on production and sales strategies. The product though is good and it can be commercialised up until June.
FP - Are imported varieties different from the national ones?
FB - Green kiwis are generally Haywards, whereas the varieties of yellow kiwis change depending on the country of origin: Jin Tao from Chile and Hort 16A or G3 (Gold 3) from New Zealand.
FP - What about prices? And is the packaging different from the national one?
FB - As regards Chile, prices are connected to production and demand, whereas they are rather stable for produce coming from New Zealand. We are talking about rather high prices.
Talking about packaging, various formats are available even though we tend to use 10 kg crates to maximise transport.
FP - Do supermarkets require annual supplies? Do they also require organic products?
FB - Supermarkets require annual supplies from a number of different countries. Some do require organic products, though such quantities are not significant.
FP - How does the economic crisis affect imports?
FB - I thinks it's a little early to assess how the crisis will affect imports. It will depend on the need of producing countries to sell produce in Europe. Countries like Japan, Korea and China will definitely be favoured, as they know how to exploit the value of kiwis.
FP - Is the Italian season going to be extended by introducing early and/or late cultivars?
FB - There already is some early produce, but even though other varieties are being considered, quantities are not that high.
FP - One last question, is the quality of imported products different from the one of national products?
FB - As regards New Zealand, there are no doubts about the quality. Chile is currently working on a national protocol that should provide more guarantees. Finally, Italy has been working hard to achieve high quality kiwis, however at the moment results are linked to the various set-ups of the companies.
Contacts:
Alegra
Francesco Bassi
Via Galileo Galilei 5
Faenza (RA)
Tel.: (+39) 0546 624401
Fax: (+39) 0546 622 513
Email: francesco.bassi@alegrait.com
Web: www.alegrait.com