Italy’s Consorzio KiwiGold and Patagonian Fruits have signed an agreement to produce organic Jintao kiwifruit in Argentina to take advantage of rising demand for both organic produce and golden kiwifruit on global markets.
Forty hectares will be planted during the initial phase of the project, with the first commercial crop available in April 2018. A total of 100ha of production are planned by next year. The fruit will be marketed exclusively by Jingold.
Patagonian Fruits, already a leading grower of organic apples and pears in the Black River and Neuquén valleys, says the Balcarce and Sierra de los Padres regions in the province of Buenos Aires are particularly well suited to the cultivation of organic fruits and vegetables.
“Production of organic kiwifruit is limited, especially in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Jingold director Alessandro Fornari. “This partnership means we will be able to offer markets a new product which has generated great expectations in the customers, especially those in the US.”
Patagonian Fruits chairman Hugo Osvaldo Sanchez said the company would continue to invest in the kiwifruit sector, introducing new varieties in the future.
“Our region in fact has the peculiarity of being pest-free and this allows us to produce with little inputs and with trust in a promising future. Accordingly, we hope to be able to add the Red Jingold Kiwi to our production soon,” he said.
