Fast growing payout for Dulcis kiwis

With 160 tons of product sold, the 2023/24 harvest was the first test case for the green (but similar to yellow) Dulcis kiwi fruit. This variety was developed by the Forli-based company New Plant in collaboration with the Universities of Udine and Bologna, and is produced and commercialized exclusively by the Italian cooperatives Apofruit Italia, Alegra, Agrintesa and Orogel Fresco.

"In the last few days," began Mirco Montefiori, President of Dulcis Kiwifruit Company, "the three growers' organizations have actually made the payments for the first real harvest campaign, which took place in the fall of 2023. In general, the price recognized to the growers confirms the positioning among the premium varieties, so there is considerable satisfaction among the operators."

Dulcis is grown by members of the growers' organizations on approximately 300 hectares, with the aim of reaching 500 hectares by the end of 2025. Reaching such a large number of hectares in such a short time is a sign of growth and positive feedback. The production areas are Latium, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Friuli, Basilicata and Calabria. Despite a difficult weather year, the plant has adapted well to the climatic stress and the 2023 production was excellent. And the prospects for 2024 seem to be going in the same direction at the moment, despite adverse weather conditions in some areas.

"The performance of Dulcis," continues Montefiori, "has been very good. The payment to growers was indeed very good, confirming the variety's position in the premium segment of the market. In particular, we agreed on an average payment of around 1.90 €/kg, compared to 1.75 €/kg last year. In addition, we are of the opinion that the 2023/24 harvest alone was the first to have sufficient quantities for a first commercial evaluation, where a total of about 160 tons were marketed in the Italian and German markets, but also some batches in Belgium and Spain, both in the general markets and in the large-scale distribution."

"We therefore remain optimistic about the future. Additional hectares have been planted in 2023 and 2024 and will come into production in the next few years, so the trend is strong, also in view of the good results achieved in the field in terms of plant and fruit management."

Dulcis is harvested earlier than Hayward and is available on the market from mid-November. Consumers can recognize it by the stamp and the accompanying tag line: "Sweetness that surprises" for the domestic market and "So Sweet, so good" for foreign markets.