Italy's kiwifruit crop could be as much as 20-30 per cent smaller this season, according to a number of sources in the trade, with a notable increase in prices expected over the next few months as a result and pressure likely to increase on product availability particularly for overseas markets.
Adverse weather during the production period – including winter frosts and high summer temperatures – are understood to have had a serious impact on Italy's kiwifruit output this time around, with those poor growing conditions compounding the reported loss of practically all of the Mediterranean country's Hort16A (marketed as Zespri Gold) due to a recent and persistent outbreak of the bacterial disease Psa.
The first harvesting of Italian kiwifruit is due to get underway in the next few weeks and overseas importers will be watching with interest to see if the anticipated downturn leaves them short.
Having spent a great deal on promoting its kiwifruit in new, emerging markets such as China, South Korea and Russia, the Italian fresh produce trade now finds itself in a remarkably strong position as far as the balance of supply and demand is concerned.
Italian exporters sent a larger volume of kiwifruit to Brazil, Poland and the US during 2011/12, continuing recent growth in all three markets, according to a new report published by the US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service.
Quoting data from the Global Trade Atlas, the agency noted that Italy's kiwifruit exports to Brazil rose to 11,818 tonnes, up 49.8 per cent on the equivalent figure for 2010 and well above the 4,403 tonnes shipped to the Latin American country in 2009.
Shipments to the US last year, meanwhile, were up 37.9 per cent year-on-year at 14,738 tonnes, while those to Poland were up 10.7 per cent to 22,506 tonnes.
Conversely, the volume of Italian kiwifruit shipped to more traditional destinations were down significantly, including Germany (down 13.6 per cent to 65,451 tonnes), the UK (-3 per cent, 15,469 tonnes) and France (-14.6, 23,394 tonnes).
Italy produces around 70 per cent of the commercial-grade kiwifruit grown in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the USDA, which noted that last year's crop was 448,232 tonnes, up 12 per cent on the previous season, with approximately 75 per cent of that total exported.
In August, nine of Italy's leading kiwifruit suppliers – Spreafico, Naturitalia, Salvi-Unacoa, Granfrutta Zani, Frutta C2, Orogel Fresco, Pempacorer, Minguzzi and Consorzio Kiwigold - formed the Kiwifruit of Italy marketing consortium, bringing over 100,000 tonnes of Hayward kiwifruit, or 20 per cent of the national crop, under a single marketing partnership.
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