The new season's kiwi fruit harvest is ongoing. According to Mr. Bruce Lu, General Manager of International Trade of Xiangqifeng Fruit, the fruit shape and taste of kiwi fruit this year are ideal, and the price at the origin is higher than last year. Since the frost in May reduced kiwi fruit production, Bruce estimates that this year's production will be roughly the same as last year.
In recent years, ready-to-eat kiwi fruit has become more and more popular in the market and has gradually formed a trend. According to Bruce, Qifeng Fruit has been actively developing the ready-to-eat segment in recent years: "We are optimistic about the ready-to-eat kiwi fruit market. We started to develop the segment three years ago and now have 50 ripening warehouses. In the domestic market, ready-to-eat products have gained recognition and sales are increasing year by year. As the promotion of ready-to-eat kiwi fruit increases on the consumer side, demand will continue to grow. This year, we are promoting ready-to-eat kiwi fruit through all channels, and will change consumers' consumption habits by realizing "delicious food without waiting" to increase sales."
It is understood that among the ready-to-eat series, the red-heart kiwi and green-heart Cuixiang and Xuxiang varieties are the most popular. "Among them, Cuixiang and Xuxiang kiwis were launched in large quantities during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the festival effect drove up prices and sales. In the export market, the export share of these two green kiwi fruits is expected to increase year by year due to their ideal quality. In addition, rising exchange rates and falling sea freight are both positive for exports."
There are various forms of kiwi fruit packaging on the market. Regarding packaging trends, Bruce said: "Currently, kiwi fruit packaging includes bulk, board boxes, and plastic boxes. In the future trend, I think exquisite and cost-effective small packaging will become the mainstream."
Qifeng Fruit has its own kiwi fruit planting area of over 233 hectares. The main varieties include Donghong and Hongyang varieties with red hearts, Cuixiang, Xuxiang and Hayward with green hearts, and Jinyan with yellow hearts. The company's products are sold to domestic and foreign markets, and its export business covers 26 countries.