Kiwi berries are also known as mini kiwi fruit. The overall surface area devoted to kiwi berry plantation in China is still rather small, so the market supply volume is limited. That is why most consumers are unfamiliar with this fruit. One kiwi berry retailer recently talked about current conditions in the Chinese kiwi berry market.
The retailer first talked about conditions in the production areas this season. "Domestic kiwi berries usually enter the market in large volumes in September, but some of the kiwi berries enter as early as July, and supply continues until October. Planters are currently growing the kiwi berries for the upcoming season. The weather conditions in production areas are great and the product quality is expected to be excellent this season."
"The kiwi berry is a deciduous vine belonging to the kiwi fruit family. The kiwi berry vines grow in the same way as kiwi fruit vines, but the fruit is very different. The outward appearance of kiwi berries is more like the large jujube from Xinjiang. Also, the fruit flesh is green, but there are red kiwi berries too. The fruit skin is tender and edible.
"There is no need to peel kiwi berries. Ripe kiwi berries have a sweet flavor and pleasant fragrance. The kiwi berries can be eaten whole. The sugar content of kiwi berries can be as high as 26%. Although the berries are small, they are rich in nutrients. Test results show that kiwi berries are 6-10 times richer in vitamin C than regular kiwi fruit, and up to 100 times richer in vitamin C than apples or pears," said the retailer.
The kiwi berries slowly gain a reputation in the Chinese market. A growing number of Chinese consumers has become familiar with this fruit. "The overall surface area devoted to the plantation of kiwi berries remains small, so the production volume is not too big. The price of kiwi berries remains stable because demand exceeds supply. Moreover, kiwi berries have medicinal properties. They are rich in vitamin C, cure constipation, and reduce internal heat. The average price last year was around 50 yuan [7.50 USD] per 0.5 kg. In some high-end supermarkets small gift boxes of kiwi berries sold for as much as 40 yuan [6 USD] per 0.25 kg."
"Cultivated kiwi berries are usually early-season or late-season kiwi berries. They were introduced from New Zealand, but there are cultivated kiwi berries from China too. The early-season kiwi berries are usually grown in greenhouses and in south China. However, most of the kiwi berry production areas are in north China. Last year the overall surface area devoted to kiwi berry plantation in China reached 8,400 hectares, but this surface area is expanding every year. Since the overall production volume is limited, most of the kiwi berries are sold in high-end supermarkets in first-tier cities in China, such as Beijing and Shanghai. The number of consumers familiar with this fruit is still small, not just because the production volume is small, but also because the kiwi berry industry still struggles with many unresolved issues related to harvesting, storage, fresh-keeping solutions, and transport."