Greek kiwifruit: being first should not come before being ready

A recent industry post caught my attention. It concerned an early green kiwifruit, marketed as Zinga Sweet Green, that was reportedly harvested in Greece on 5 September at 7.5° Brix and 18 per cent dry matter.

I have tried to find more technical information about the variety and have subsequently been informed by industry contacts that Zinga originates from China, is an Actinidia chinensis selection and is commercially represented by a South African company. I would certainly be interested to learn more about its official cultivar denomination, breeder or variety owner and, particularly, its technical characteristics and maturity profile.

If 7.5° Brix and 18 per cent dry matter on 5 September are representative of the commercial crop, these are interesting figures for such an early green kiwifruit and demonstrate the potential that new genetics may offer.

But Zinga also raises a broader point. How early we can harvest Greek kiwifruit should not be the objective. How good the fruit is when the consumer eats it – that’s the objective.

The European marketing standard establishes a minimum maturity requirement at packing of 6.2° Brix or 15 per cent average dry matter, which should lead to 9.5° Brix when the fruit enters the distribution chain.

These are minimum legal requirements. In my view, they should not become our quality objective.

Greece has built an increasingly important position in the international kiwifruit market. With that position comes a responsibility to ensure that consumers associate Greek origin not simply with availability, but with consistent eating quality.

For this reason, I believe a responsible commercial harvest should consider both parameters rather than one or the other: at least 6.2° Brix and preferably around 16 per cent dry matter or higher at harvest, together with the fruit’s capacity to develop the sugars, flavour and texture expected by the consumer.

There is scientific evidence supporting this approach. Research on Hayward has demonstrated a strong relationship between dry matter at harvest and subsequent eating quality, with consumer studies showing consistently good acceptance of fruit at approximately 16 per cent dry matter or above. Equally important is the distinction between a minimum maturity threshold and an optimum eating-quality standard.

This is not a theoretical concern. Greek green kiwifruit has already been appearing on European markets for several weeks, initially in relatively small quantities from early August but with activity becoming noticeably stronger in recent weeks.

Much of this early fruit is marketed as Tsechelidis or under other early-variety descriptions. At this stage of the season, however, the maturity of conventional Greek green kiwifruit remains a serious concern.

Hayward is an even clearer case: under Greek legislation, harvesting cannot begin before 15 October. Yet the commercial pressure to have Greek green kiwi available as early as possible remains very strong. The question is not simply whether fruit can be harvested and sold, but whether it is physiologically mature enough to develop into a kiwifruit that consumers will actually enjoy eating.

This matters particularly when there is commercial pressure to start a season earlier. Selling fruit a few weeks earlier may provide an advantage for an individual shipment or exporter. But if that fruit fails to deliver the expected eating experience, the consequences extend beyond one shipment. The reputation of the entire Greek origin can suffer.

Greek kiwifruit has earned a strong position in international markets. The industry’s priority should be to protect and strengthen that position, rather than compete simply over who can ship first.

The winner should not be the first kiwi on the market; it should be the first kiwifruit that is genuinely ready for the market.