Turkish kiwifruit proves disappointment

Professor. Dr. Turan Karadeniz, lecturer at the Department of Horticulture at Ordu University’s Faculty of Agriculture, said in a statement to Anadolu Agency’s (AA) correspondent that he recalls growers in the district turning their attention to kiwifruit cultivation in the past 5 to 6 years.

According to Karadeniz, growers with available land planted kiwifruit seeds instead of hazelnut orchards, he states “Nevertheless, in the last 1-2 years the kiwifruit harvest increased and in spite of the decrease in the price of the fruit, the growers again started to plant kiwifruit orchards instead of hazelnuts.”

Prof. Dr Karadeniz explains that the kiwifruit will definitely not be an alternative to the hazelnut in the region, however for growers it can be an additional product, “The growers do not earn as much from kiwifruit as they did in earlier years, they are not profitable anymore. The biggest problem with kiwifruit is that the market is underdeveloped.

For this reason growers are experiencing problems when trying to find a market for the kiwifruit.” Karadeniz describes that if the necessary conditions for the development of the kiwifruit industry were realised, “Then growers could make the kiwifruit a profitable investment, but at the moment growers are experiencing a disappointing situation. When the kiwifruit harvest did meet growers expectations, they had to turn their attention back to hazelnuts.”

Karadeniz, pointing out the problems being experienced with kiwifruit consumption, continues his remarks: “Unfortunately in the last few years growers hoping to make money from kiwifruit increased the size of their orchards and thus increased their crop. However consumption did not increase at the same rate. This, inevitably, is reflected in the prices. The consumption of kiwifruit decreases with every passing year and therefore so does the price.

Karadeniz states that the price of kiwifruit fell from 1 lira a kilo to 75 kurus, “Last year despite of the negative impact of frost on agriculture, the price of kiwifruit did not exceed 2 lira a kilo. This means that if there had been a normal harvest season, the price would have been even lower.

On account of this, kiwifruit does not appear very profitable for growers. At the moment growers are evaluating local and regional needs at the market and in the home. Besides, kiwifruit cannot be pressed for fresh fruit juice and this also contributes to the constantly falling price. Tending to kiwifruit is a rather toilsome task. A kiwifruit is a delicate fruit which constantly needs care.

Growers Experience Problems With Location and Watering
Ordu's Kiwifruit Grower’s Association President Yusuf Uzunlar, points out that kiwifruit spreads quickly in a short time period, “However in the last few years producers could not find land to sow kiwifruit in, nor could  they find enough water to water them with.  This, inevitably, reduced interest in the kiwifruit at the time.” Uzunlar stresses that kiwifruit production is not as popular now as it was in the past, “Frankly speaking our growers are confused. Growers who, in the past, earned a lot of money from kiwifruit, have recently been unable to match their profits. This has created a perplexing situation for them.” he said. Uzunlar, emphasises that the kiwifruit grown in Ordu has a great flavour.