A shorter crop resulting from last September’s freeze, good flavour profile and high storage capacity augur well for the 2014 Chilean kiwifruit export season according to Carlos Cruzat, president of the Chilean Kiwifruit Committee (CKC).
“In terms of quality, we’re still waiting to assess the level of damage caused by the freeze but what we are seeing is a high level of dry matter and soluble solids, which are good indicators that the crop will have a decent shelf-life and good flavour,” he said.
For this reason, Cruzat said he is hopeful that prices will be significantly higher than last season – depending on fruit quality being maintained.
He called on producers to act “intelligently, thoughtfully and calmly” to ensure that they only packed high grade fruit.
“Prices will suffer if the quality of the fruit does not match the expectations of importers,” he warned. “Growers and exporters have a responsibility to ensure that all product packed as category 1 actually meets these requirements and doesn’t end up being category 2 or 3.”
Separately, the CKC has unveiled a new system for the early detection of the presence of PSA is kiwifruit groves early. The model, which was created by the Foundation for Agricultural Innovation (FIA) in conjunction with the CKC and financed by Innova Corfo, enables producers to measure their risk level taking numerous factors into account and take appropriate preventative action during high-risk periods.
Cruzat said the system would give growers a clearer understanding of what causes the disease to in different production zones.
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