There is a strong crop of organic kiwi berries from the Pacific Northwest for 2024. "The fruit is sizing up nicely. It's super clean with minimal damage or scarring," says Jess Hardin of Organically Grown Company which is shipping the Ladybug Brand of kiwi berries. "The supply is strong this season, with volume like what we've seen in recent years."
The timing of the crop is similar to seasons past with harvest starting earlier this month and going into early October. "The Northwest had a mild winter which helped. May 15th is an important date for kiwi berry growers," says Hardin. "If it freezes in April or May, that affects the timing of the fruit and causes damage. We didn't get a late freeze in 2024."
OGC supplies organic kiwi berries that are hand-picked and hand-packed daily in its 6 oz. Ladybug Brand clamshells by its organic growers in Southern Oregon. There, the fruit, which is fuzz-free but contains the same flavor as the classic kiwi, grows in the warm, long summer and mild winter that the region is known for.
As for the demand for the unique fruit, it's strong. "Kiwi berries are always hot out of the gate. There's national interest and volume movement is strong so demand is high right now for this truly seasonal item," says Hardin, adding that retailers can use the good supply and strong demand to sustain berry category sales into the early fall season. Hardin says the Ladybug Brand presents a creative merchandising opportunity by not only marketing them alongside other berries but also incorporating them into secondary displays of late-summer nectarines, pears, plums, and figs.
Teaching consumers about kiwi berries
That said, educating consumers for whom kiwi berries are new as a fruit is a challenge. "People may not be familiar with kiwi berries, so promotions and sampling to introduce the kiwi berry can really drive sales," says Hardin. "Also, education focused on ripening helps eaters experience kiwi berries at their best. Like classic kiwi, kiwi berries are picked when ripe, but firm. Two or three days on the counter at room temperature will sweeten and soften the fruit."
Still, demand is expected to stay strong. Retailers anticipate this seasonal specialty item and kiwi berry fans are excited to see them so strong promotions during their short window of availability are anticipated.
All of this is leaving pricing pretty close to last year. However, there is some upward pressure to keep the grower profitable. "We balance maximizing return to the grower while allowing the retailer to remain competitive and hit good retail price points with a good margin return. We want to move volume for our small family farm," says Hardin.
For more information:
Amy Brown
Organically Grown Company
Tel: +1 (503) 341-3795
[email protected]
www.organicgrown.com