The US Agriculture Department will give the California Kiwifruit Commission US$321,800 as part of the government agency’s Market Access Programme.

Designed to help US agricultural industries improve exports, the Market Access Programme is worth US$200m annually, according to McClatchy Newspapers.

The funding for the California Kiwifruit Commission is nearly twice what the group were granted last year.

Doug Phillips, the immediate past president of the Commission and a kiwifruit grower, said the money would help marketing schemes in Mexico, South Korea and potentially India and other Central America countries.

“I think everybody agrees that exports are an area we need to increase. It's an important part of our overall sales,” he said.

“Some of it will be just point-of-sale material printed in the right language. Some of it is for interacting with wholesalers and retailers, to keep California kiwifruit in the forefront.”

California produces the vast majority of US kiwifruit, and the industry is valued at about US$36m a year. Around 38 per cent of the crop is exported.

Other big winners from the Market Access Programme this year are citrus company Sunkist Growers, who will receive US$4.2m, and the California Prune Board, with US$3.1m

Topics