China: Ya'an kiwi-berry expected to enter the market in late July

"Ya'an kiwi-berries are ripe ten days earlier than last year. They are expected to enter the market in late July. The fruit did not suffer from frostbite or cold weather earlier this year when kiwi-berries were in blossom, which is the main reason that the fruit will enter the market early. This is the first year that our kiwi-berries will enter the market in bulk. We strictly control the fruit load per tree and estimate that the overall production volume will reach around 30-40 tons." This is according to Fan Jinming of Chengdu Future Agrow Co., Ltd.

"Kiwi-berries are delicate. The outside is smooth and the berries can be eaten after washing the fruit and do not require peeling. The flavor is more pure than ordinary kiwi-fruit. Under regular temperatures, the fruit can be preserved for three weeks. The kiwi-berry market has grown significantly in the last two years. The surface area devoted to kiwi-berry plantation in the northeast of China already exceeds 2,000 hectares. However, most of those plantations were established in the last two years. The overall production volume is expected to increased sharply around 2020."

"Although there is a growing interest in kiwi-berries, most people are still hesitant to participate. There are three reasons why people prefer to wait and see: first, consumers and people in the industry still do not know much about kiwi-berries; second, kiwi-berries are delicate and require technological support during cultivation, harvest, transport and storage. Research institutes are currently working on these issues and researchers are confident that they can solve the problems in the next few years; third, there is a problem with product variety. There currently are many kiwi-berry varieties with varying degrees of stability and commercial potential. The development of kiwi-berry products will depend on the ability to choose the most suitable kiwi-berry variety."

"Our company owns kiwi-berry plantations in Zhongli Town, Ya'an City, Sichuan. Our plantations cover 27 hectares. This is the first year in which most of our plantations produce a large volume of kiwi-berries. At the same time, we established 33 hectares of kiwi-berry plantations in cooperation with plantation owners and agricultural cooperations. Many of these plantations suffered from kiwi-fruit ulcers in the past and have been transformed into kiwi-berry plantations."

"We presented our own brand of kiwi-berries to the public last year to further expand the kiwi-berry market. Our target audience are young consumers between 25-40 from middle-class families who dare to try new flavors. The main points we emphasize are 'explosive' flavor and 'rich nutritional value'. This year our online and offline marketing channels still run parallel. As for packaging, we sell kiwi-berries in plastic boxes that allow the fruit to breathe. In addition, we will present the public with 'test sample' packaging that will allow more consumers to experience the flavor of Mei Mei kiwi-berries. We also present gift boxes suitable for express delivery after purchase through online shops or WeChat retail."