Fruitimprese representatives for kiwis Maurizio Filippi reports that March was another slow month. "We expected things to pick up, but they did not. Everybody has kiwis available and there are not enough clients."
Prices usually go up in March, but they have not. Now producers are hoping the situation will improve in April. "Around mid-March we had in stock 11% more than in the previous year with an estimated increase in quantities of only 1%, so there has been a drop in sales by 10%."
Quality is good and shelf life is excellent. "Fruits from Latina and Calabria are keeping particularly well, though it always depends on single producers. We recommend not fertilizing too much, as kiwis need the right dry matter balance."
As regards the relationship with retailers, Filippi explains that "supermarkets have started requiring fruit that is riper with a firmness between 1 and 2.5 kg/sq cm. Much firmer fruit was introduced to the market years ago, so consumers started opting for other products. Nowadays kiwis are almost ready to eat and, after 4 or 5 months in cold storage units, they are not fibrous."