Consortium says addition of ‘robust’ variety makes it the only group that can produce kiwifruit at scale in both northern and southern Europe
European kiwifruit marketer Kiwi Passion has unveiled a new yellow variety which it says is suited to later production in northern European areas with low spring temperatures and more demanding climates.
According to the consortium, the addition of this cultivar makes it the only group that can produce kiwifruit at commercial scale in both the north and south of the continent.
It will be marketed as Gold Passion alongside another yellow variety, A19 – which is already grown widely in warm climates of southern Europe – and two reds sold under the name Red Passion.
Following three years of tests and technical evaluations, the new variety is said to offer high yields, as well as stronger resistance to disease and frost.
With average sugar levels of 16° Brix and shelf-life described as “excellent”, the fruit will be harvested in the second half of October and sold between February and May.
Fifty hectares have already been planted this year, and several Kiwi Passion members apparently intend to plant more in the next two years.
Right direction
For consortium president Nicola Negri, the new variety has a lot of potential, and its arrival marks a major turning point. “In just a few years, we have created an international, innovative, and quality-driven supply chain,” he explains.
“With two yellow and two red varieties, we are now the only European consortium capable of covering all production latitudes, with a complete and technically robust offer.”
Kiwi Passion works with growers in Italy, France, Greece, Spain and Portugal, as well as South Africa and South America.
At a recent annual meeting in Milan, it reported total revenue approaching €5mn and confirmed the entry of 30 new produce members based in Italy, France, Greece and Portugal.
“The growth in revenues and the strengthening of our membership base demonstrate that we are moving in the right direction: investing in research, technology, and quality to bring a premium, sustainable, and recognisable kiwifruit to market,” Negri adds.
