With more than 8,000 tons shipped to North America through May, the Chilean Kiwifruit season is underway. Peak U.S. imports are just kicking off and will continue through August.
While the Chilean Kiwifruit Committee is projecting an overall decrease in volume of 14 percent compared with last season, fruit quality is expected to be superior! Reports Carlos Cruzat, President of the Committee, “Fruit this year is between one and one and a half sizes larger, and dry matter (which plays a key role in the consumer’s eating experience) is greater than previous seasons.” This is the result of a warm summer with healthy water supply.
Chile shipped 134,992 tons of kiwifruit across the globe in 2022, with the U.S., Netherlands, and Brazil its top three markets. India has also grown substantially over the past few years, becoming the fourth largest market for the Chilean kiwifruit industry in 2022.
This season, Chile expects to export a total of 116,093 tons. The U.S. received 20,221 tons in 2022, with similar volumes projected this season, but increases are on the horizon. With new orchards coming into production over the next few years, Chile anticipates volume to grow by more than 80% by 2030.
In previous years, Chile had shipped around 35-40 percent of total kiwifruit volume through May, but this year, that figure has grown to 52 percent. With that in mind, the Committee is focusing on the June through August timeframe for promotions.