The commercialization of kiwis in Italy is still in its early stage, but the level of confusion is already high. "At the moment there are Italian kiwis and Greek kiwis on the market, but we don't know which ones are Italian and which ones are Greek," said Maurizio Filippi of Commercio Frutta (pictured below).
"The situation is not clear, we are in a state of total confusion. In Italy, we had a lower than average product and prices in rural areas are higher. Therefore, many Greek kiwis are being imported with 30 to 40 cents less price".
The problem is that once the Greek product is in Italy, it is no longer clear which ones are domestic and which ones are foreign. "The kiwi does not leave the grower with a label, so it is difficult for anyone to distinguish them".
Italian kiwis of large caliber are sold in the countryside at €1.20-1.30/kg. "This year the calibers were slightly smaller than usual. The best lots are paid high prices. Similarly, in Greece there were some problems with the sizes, but thanks to their lower costs they can sell at lower prices".
It is quite likely to assume that the kiwis that are now on the market can also be Greek. "The quality can still be very good, but, again, we need more transparency".
The German retail chains sell both Greek and Italian kiwis. "The Italian product is only at the beginning. It would be good first disposing of the imported product, which has a lower price," concluded Filippi.
Contatti:
Commercio Frutta
Via Trentola, 78
47122 Malmissole (Forlì) - Italy
Phone: (+39) 0543 723153
Email: info@commerciofrutta.com
Web: www.commerciofrutta.com