Belgium: Official handover of first Hoogstraten kiwiberries

On Thursday, the 6th of September, a press conference took place at the MAS in Antwerp to launch the start of the kiwiberry season. The attendees gathered on the balcony at the top of the MAS. The assembly started with a welcome speech by Gaston Opdekamp, the director of Hoogstraten auction.

Preliminary research was done by independent market research agency called iVox regarding Belgian fruit consumption. Jan Engelen, sales and managing director, said that the results showed that Belgians do not eat enough fruit. Belgians consume fruit as an in-between snack, with a preference for apples, bananas, strawberries, grapes, and mandarins. The most important thing is that fruit is easy to eat. The freshness of fruit is decisive for 3 in 4 Belgians when buying. Other aspects named are seasonal fruit, price and convenience to eat. 

Jan Engelen concluded that the kiwiberry connects perfectly to the research and fits into the needs of the Belgian consumer. On top of that, the shaker in which the kiwiberries are packaged, ensures freshness and prolongs the shelf life. 

Total production is estimated to be around 40 tonnes, coming from 20 growers. This includes industry quality berries which are used to produce a natural energy drink. Jan Engelen indicates that the production has doubled from last year. This makes it possible to carefully progress into export, alongside the domestic markets. The countries that have been named are the UK and Scandinavia, whereby the UK has shown interest in the product for quite some time. “The doubling of the kiwiberry harvest has convinced us, that the kiwiberry will gain even more popularity as a healthy fruit snack, not only in Belgium, but also abroad,” according to Gaston Opdekamp. The Hoogstraten kiwiberry will also be available in Great Britain through the distribution chains of Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s. 

The Hoogstraten Auction, specialising in soft fruits like strawberries and greenhouse vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and specialities; guarantee the sale and distribution of the Hoogstraten kiwiberry. To improve the market position in the Belgian market of this newly introduced fruit, the Hoogstraten auction is investing in: attractive user/product friendly packaging for the kiwi berry, the development of derived products like kiwiberry syrup, distribution through retail partners Colruyt and Spar, retailers and catering, and a national communication campaign. 

 

The kiwi berries are packaged in a 125 gram shaker, with 12 to a box. The shaker is labelled with an information sticker in 3 languages. They also developed a QR code to put on the box that links to the Facebook page. Jan Engelen calls the reference to the growers’ module their trump card. With this, they hope to create ‘the kiwiberry with a face.'

Filip Debersaques explained that growing kiwi berries isn’t easy, and it is also incomparable to other cultivation. Multiple points of attention became apparent during the growing process. For example, the bud is sensitive to frost but the flowering stage is also worrying because you have to pay attention to size, shape, and damages which may occur during harvest. A grower’s manual, called ‘from kiwi to kiwi berry’ was compiled and was officially handed over to the Flemish prime minister Kris Peeters, together with the first set of kiwiberries. Filip Debersaques thanked all of the government officials that were present for their support. Kris Peeters was the last speaker. He said it was an honour to receive the manual and the kiwiberries. He also thought it was a good idea to have the press conference in the museum. “The kiwiberry is the result of creativity and innovation. This museum underlines the creativity of the product. He is proud that agriculture and horticulture are so involved in the innovation of new products.

After the presentation, there was a tasting session in the sun. Several delicious dishes were prepared which incorporated the kiwiberry. The attendees were able to ask any questions and chat about the kiwiberry.