Kiwi Uno Rivoira

Production of kiwifruit and apples in the Italian region of Piedmont this coming season is expected to be higher compared with 2013, further raising concerns about the potential impact of an adverse euro-dollar exchange rate on the country’s ability to sell more to overseas markets.

That’s according to Michelangelo Rivoira, president of leading marketer Kiwi Uno and vice-president of the country’s fresh produce trade association FruitImprese.

He told Italiafruit News: “This year, kiwifruit production should be 15-20 per cent higher than the previous years’ disastrous campaign, thanks to a lack of late spring frosts.”

He added that apple production, meanwhile, would be around 10 per cent up on the previous season, in line with an anticipated 5-10 per cent rise across Europe.

The euro-dollar exchange rate remained a major factor likely to affect this year’s Italian winter fruit export campaign, Rivoira suggested, particularly when it came to developing sales to emerging markets in Asia, the Middle East and North America.

“If the the current exchange rate situation continues to be so unfavourable for us, it will become difficult to conquer new markets,” he said.