BIG Interview: Federico Milanese on kiwi market growth, premium varieties and the 2026/27 season

More kiwifruit, more varieties and more competition. With the 2026/27 season approaching, the question is no longer just how much fruit producers can bring to market, but how they can keep buyers and consumers coming back.

Jingold expects double-digit growth in its yellow and red kiwifruit volumes this season, while expanding its reach in Asia and the Americas. But can premium varieties hold their value as supply increases? And is the industry paying enough attention to what consumers actually taste?

We spoke with Federico Milanese of Jingold about the upcoming harvest, opportunities for international buyers, the future of red kiwifruit and why consistent eating quality could matter more than the next new variety.

Fructidor: What are your expectations for the 2026/27 kiwi season?

Federico Milanese: We enter the 2026/27 season with positive expectations. The first assessments indicate increasing volumes, particularly for yellow and red kiwifruit, supported by new orchards coming into production in Italy and Greece.

At the same time, we are operating in a complex international environment. Logistics costs remain high, transit times are less predictable than in the past and geopolitical developments can rapidly affect trade flows. For this reason, our priority is not simply to place higher volumes on the market, but to manage growth in a balanced way, protecting fruit quality, grower returns and the value of the category.

The season is expected to begin in mid-October with Exotic Red, followed by yellow kiwifruit towards the end of October and green kiwifruit in November.

Fructidor: How are production volumes looking this season for Jingold’s yellow, red and green kiwi varieties?

Federico Milanese: Production is developing positively across Jingold’s portfolio. Yellow kiwifruit remains our core business and our main growth driver, with volumes expected to increase by approximately 20% compared with last season.

Exotic Red is also continuing its development, with an expected increase of around 15%. Green kiwifruit remains an important part of our portfolio, with positive growth prospects supported by production in Italy and Greece.

Our priority, however, is not simply to increase volumes. We want to ensure that this growth is supported by the right commercial programmes and, above all, by consistently high fruit quality.

Fructidor: Which markets currently offer the strongest growth opportunities for Jingold?

Federico Milanese: Asia continues to offer significant growth opportunities, with China representing our main market in the region and a strategic destination for Jingold’s future development.

We also see considerable potential in North America. The United States, Canada and Mexico were among the markets showing the strongest development during the last campaign.

Europe remains fundamental for Jingold, although the opportunity in more mature markets is increasingly linked to strengthening brand recognition, increasing consumer penetration and developing targeted projects with key retail partners.

The opportunity is therefore different from one region to another: expansion in Asia and the Americas, and greater brand differentiation and consumer engagement in established European markets.

Fructidor: Can red kiwi remain a premium niche as production grows, or do you expect it to become a mainstream category?

Federico Milanese: We believe red kiwifruit can expand beyond its current niche without losing its premium positioning. Exotic Red is gradually moving from being perceived as a curiosity to becoming an established part of the kiwifruit category. Consumer awareness is increasing, and more shoppers now actively look for it when the season begins.

At the same time, Exotic Red appeals to a clearly identifiable consumer segment: people who particularly enjoy very sweet fruit and distinctive tropical flavours. This gives the product a specific positioning that goes beyond its red colour and visual appeal.

Becoming more established does not necessarily mean becoming a mass-market commodity. Exotic Red has a distinctive appearance, a recognisable flavour profile and a naturally defined commercial window. These characteristics can preserve its premium value as availability grows.

The challenge will be to expand distribution at the right pace while maintaining consistent eating quality and protecting the product’s distinctive identity.

Fructidor: Are premium yellow and red kiwis at risk of becoming overcrowded as more varieties enter the market?

Federico Milanese: There is certainly a risk of confusion as more varieties and brands enter the premium segment. Colour alone is no longer sufficient to create lasting differentiation.

A new variety must offer a genuine benefit: a recognisable flavour, reliable quality, good shelf life, sustainable agronomic performance and a clear proposition for both retailers and consumers. Otherwise, an excessive number of similar products could fragment the category rather than expand it.

For Jingold, differentiation is based not only on proprietary varieties but also on integrated supply-chain management, technical assistance to growers, traceability, quality control and brand investment. In the long term, the market will reward the programmes that deliver consistency, not simply novelty.

Fructidor: Is the industry focusing too much on colour and novelty and not enough on consistent eating quality?

Federico Milanese: Colour and novelty can attract consumers for the first purchase, but only eating quality generates repeat purchases. There is therefore a risk that the industry may sometimes give too much attention to visual differentiation and too little to consistency.

Consumers do not buy a genetic code or an orchard: they buy an eating experience. If the fruit is harvested too early, has insufficient sweetness or is inconsistent from one purchase to the next, the entire category can lose credibility.

At Jingold, our technical and quality teams assess each variety and orchard to establish the correct harvest timing based on organoleptic parameters. We believe innovation is meaningful only when it results in better and more reliable fruit for the consumer.

Fructidor: Is year-round supply always an advantage, or can overlap between Northern and Southern Hemisphere seasons create price pressure?

Federico Milanese: We do not see year-round supply as a problem, but as an important opportunity. It allows retailers to maintain continuity on the shelf, strengthens consumer familiarity with the brand and helps make kiwifruit part of consumers’ regular purchasing habits throughout the year.

Our development in Chile, South Africa and Argentina is designed to progressively reduce supply gaps and create a more stable and reliable international programme. By combining production from different origins and hemispheres, we can serve our customers for longer periods while selecting the most suitable varieties and production areas for each part of the season.

The objective is to build continuity while maintaining the quality standards and distinctive eating experience associated with Jingold.

Fructidor: Are climate risks now influencing Jingold’s decisions on varieties, growing regions and future investments more than market demand does?

Federico Milanese: Climate and environmental conditions have become fundamental factors in our production decisions, but they must always be considered together with market demand.

Jingold has different varieties even within the same flesh-colour category. In yellow kiwifruit, for example, one variety may perform better than another depending on the soil, climate and specific characteristics of the production area.

Before developing a new orchard, we therefore assess factors such as soil type, water availability, winter chilling requirements, summer temperatures and disease pressure. This enables us to select the variety that is best suited to each territory rather than applying the same production model everywhere.

This approach improves agronomic performance, reduces production risks and helps us achieve more consistent fruit quality. Geographic diversification across Italy, Greece, Chile, South Africa and other production regions is therefore both a growth strategy and an increasingly important form of risk management.

Fructidor: What is the biggest issue in the global kiwi industry that you think people are not talking about enough?

Federico Milanese: Global kiwifruit production is increasing, and this will inevitably bring more supply to the market. However, this growth is taking place alongside a broader and very positive change in consumer behaviour: people are paying increasing attention to nutrition, wellbeing and the role of food in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Kiwifruit is particularly well positioned within this trend because it is naturally associated with nutritional value, freshness and everyday wellbeing. We therefore believe that increasing supply can become an opportunity, provided that the industry continues to invest in quality, consumer education and effective communication.

As nutrition becomes a more central part of public policy and consumer awareness in a growing number of countries, we expect interest in kiwifruit to increase further. The challenge for the industry will be to transform this potential into long-term consumption growth while ensuring a consistently positive eating experience for consumers.

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