No Red Light for Green and Yellow Kiwifruit: Cautious Expansion of the Market
The outlook for kiwifruit demand remains healthy, with expanding consumption in Asia, the EU, and the US. Global kiwifruit exports have been steady over the last three years and show interesting changes in supply dynamics.
New Zealand is the largest exporter of kiwifruit in the world, but the successful adoption, production, and export of yellow kiwifruit cultivars is not exclusive to this region. As quality is rewarded by a premium price, the trend toward higher-quality kiwifruit, particularly golden (yellow) kiwifruit varieties, will be increasingly relevant. However, growers and exporters will face significant challenges on the production side, in terms of higher costs, including but not limited to fertilizer, energy, harvest, packaging, and freight costs. Although inflationary pressures have exacerbated since the beginning of the war in Europe, the relevance of Russian and Ukrainian markets is relatively limited for kiwifruit exports from the southern hemisphere, but indirect implications will impact the industry, particularly on the cost side.
