Jingold boss says producers have steadily converted from green to yellow-fleshed varieties, positioning country as Northern Hemisphere’s dominant golden kiwifruit producer with around 100,000 tonnes per year
Kiwifruit producers in Italy are steadily converting their production from green to yellow-fleshed varieties, putting the country on course to satisfy growing demand, and making it second only to New Zealand in terms of production of these newer types.
According to Jingold, one of Italy’s leading marketers, the country is now virtually the only major producer of golden kiwifruit in the Northern Hemisphere, with around 100,000 tonnes.
Excluding China, global kiwifruit production currently stands at approximately 1.6mn tonnes.
And it is expected to grow by more than 10 per cent year on year in 2025/26 – driven primarily by the development of more Zespri SunGold in New Zealand.
According to Jingold’s general director Alessandro Fornari, there has been widespread growth in production in several countries, which he says indicates a healthy market, and balanced supply and demand. “In recent years, global kiwifruit production has grown steadily, at an average rate of 3-4 per cent annually,” he explains.
And while New Zealand has led the way in the Southern Hemisphere, he says, in the north, an interconnected system has emerged linking different sources of supply.
“While Hayward kiwifruit has declined in Italy, for example, Greek production has increased, keeping overall availability essentially stable.”
Italy, for its part, has capitalised on this growth by gradually converting its acreage to yellow-fleshed fruit. It’s a commercial opportunity that lots of growers have seized with both hands, as a means to escape the devastating impact of kiwifruit vine decline syndrome, known in Italy itself as moria, on the established green variety Hayward.
“The growth trend of Italian golden kiwifruit is now consolidated,” he suggests. “Jingold is part of this development and is contributing an average 15 per cent annual increase in production, thanks to the constant growth of cultivated acreage and new plantings built in partnership with producers in the most suitable areas of the [Italian] peninsula.”
Ahead of schedule
Jingold sees “excellent prospects” ahead for its latest marketing campaign, with fruit reaching the right levels of ripeness ahead of schedule compared with 2024/25.
And with 2,500ha of production – including 2,000 in Italy – and a network of 850 producers across both hemispheres, the company says it continues to prioritise innovation, premium quality, and sustainability in order to strengthen its presence in European and international markets.
“The 2025-2026 season opens with a positive outlook for all our varieties,” says Fornari. “The increase in acreage in the Northern Hemisphere and the entry into production of new orchards allow us to broaden our marketing window and respond increasingly quickly to growing global market demand.”
From a quality standpoint, this season is up there with the best in recent years, he adds.
With its Jintao and Jinyan varieties, for which it holds the exclusive worldwide licence, Jingold is now among the world’s most significant producers in terms of volume. This season, it expects to sell 25,000 tonnes of yellow kiwifruit.
It also sees very good prospects for red kiwifruit, and its exclusive variety Oriental Red (known in the trade as Exotic Red) accounts for more than half of Italy’s crop.
The forecast for 2025/26 is to sell about 2,000 tonnes of this variety, up 15 per cent on the year.
“Every year, we increase the area dedicated to red kiwifruit, which is establishing itself as a distinctive and increasingly sought-after product,” says Fornari. “The increase in volumes allows us to expand our customer base and introduce this innovative fruit to a growing number of consumers in Italy and abroad.”
For green kiwifruit, including the free variety Hayward and Jingold’s Boerica, which it markets as Bliss, the market appears likely to see a slight shortage, resulting in higher prices at source.
“Sales of Jingold green kiwifruit have just begun both in Europe and overseas, with prices higher than in 2024,” Fornari reveals. “We expect to enter full commercialisation starting in week 46.”
