The first container of Italian kiwifruit to be shipped directly to China has been dispatched by leading export group Compagnia Italiana della Frutta (CIF).
The company, which is a commercial partnership between Apofruit Italia, Alegra, Mazzoni and a number of other private companies, sent the consignment to Shanghai under the Made in Blu brand.
The container is due to take 20 days to arrive at the Chinese port, where local officials will be joined by representatives from both CIF and Italian marketing and research agency CSO.
The opening of the Chinese market to Italian kiwifruit, which was confirmed towards the end of last year, is seen as a major stepping stone towards the Italian fresh produce industry’s goal of expanding into new markets worldwide.
China in particular, with its sizeable population and relatively high levels of per-capita fresh fruit and vegetable consumption, is seen as a key component in this strategy, commented Made in Blu director Furio Mazzotti.
“The Chinese market is a big unknown and undoubtedly there will be obstacles we need to overcome, but we are also convinced that it can represent a huge opportunity for several of our products, among them kiwifruit, for which Italy is the global leader in terms of production,” he said.
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