Domus de Jonge’s kiwi berry harvest is finished. “Sorting and delivery are in full swing. That will keep us busy for the next five to six weeks,” says the cultivator from Kapelle, the Netherlands. He is pleased with sales. “It is actually going too well, we need more volume. We cannot keep up with demand. It is going well in Scandinavia especially. I expect sales in the Netherlands will get a boost after the AGF Detail, where my buyer Nature’s Pride will promote the kiwi berries.”
“The quality of the kiwi berries is better than in previous years, and that is true for all of Europe,” says De Jonge. Although sales of the kiwi berries is showing a rising trend, he is seeing the area stagnate rather than expand.
“The cultivation of kiwi berries is still in its infancy, and more and more growing pains are coming to light. For example, it is not easy to get production, pollination is a problem and little is known yet about the supply of strains. All in all, it is not yet an adult cultivation.”
“I cannot recommend anyone to get into the cultivation of kiwi berries, company-wise. The last few years we had to do a lot of pioneering, but that is fine, because a market demand was created in that time. For us it is important to build on the lead we have now. We will definitely continue with kiwi berries. We will soon get 15 more hectares, and we hope to reap the fruits of that in the long term,” De Jonge concludes.
For more information:
Domus de Jonge
KG Fruit
Oostambachtweg 1
4421 RM Kapelle