Japanese consumer spending on kiwifruit in August this year was the highest the month has seen since record keeping began eight years ago.
Average household spending on kiwifruit for August hit ¥109, the highest the month has seen since 2005, and a 20 per cent increase on the same time a year earlier. Consumption volume was also the third largest for the month in the last eight years, according to figures from Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Statistics Bureau.
The record overall spending was boosted by good market prices, which averaged ¥839 per kg during August, the highest they have been so far this year and the highest for August since 2005.
The sales are a nice send-off for the peak kiwifruit season in the Japanese market, which hits a high point in June before bottoming out in January.
Japan’s overall fruit spending in August was slightly ahead of 2011, which has been a common theme so far this year. Consumption quantity saw a noticeable rise for the month compared to the last two years, partly on the back of lower average prices.
Oranges have also continued to do relatively well against their results last year, while grapefruit sales have carried on their steady decline.
