BIG Interview: ZEUS KIWI expects 20-25% more kiwifruit as Vietnam and Thailand enter its export plans

A larger Greek kiwifruit harvest could open export opportunities that were previously out of reach due to limited supply. ZEUS KIWI expects production to rise by 20–25% this year, giving the company more fruit to supply established customers and test new destinations in Southeast Asia.

But growing volumes are only part of the picture. Investments in controlled-atmosphere storage, automated packing and new packaging formats are also changing how the Greek exporter prepares fruit for international markets.

Fructidor spoke with Christina Manossis of ZEUS KIWI about the upcoming season, the company's plans for yellow kiwifruit, its next export markets and where it is putting its investment budget.

Fructidor: Christina, how is the new kiwifruit season looking for ZEUS KIWI?

Christina Manossis: It seems we are going to have a better year than last year, both in terms of volumes and quality. We expect an overall increase of 20–25% in kiwifruit production, which will enable us to strengthen our presence in traditional markets and open new ones.

We are particularly looking to increase our volumes in Brazil, Argentina and Chile, as well as Indonesia and Malaysia. These are markets where we would like to expand our presence.

We are also looking to approach the Vietnamese and Thai markets this year. These are new markets that we couldn't reach in the past due to insufficient volumes. Hopefully, we will be able to carry out some trials this season.

Fructidor: What about yellow kiwifruit? Are volumes growing at the same pace?

Christina Manossis: The yellow kiwifruit business is growing, yes, but we are not going to have substantial volumes this year. This is a relatively new project that we have been developing over the past few years, and it takes time for production to reach significant volumes.

For this season, we expect more or less the same volumes as last year.

All our yellow kiwifruit will be marketed through the Kikoka consortium. ZEUS KIWI is an accredited partner and grower within the consortium, which will direct most of the volumes to selected key markets, including Europe and some overseas destinations such as the United States.

Fructidor: ZEUS KIWI was among the first companies in the Greek kiwifruit industry to put sustainability at the centre of its operations. What progress have you made?

Christina Manossis: We are constantly working on it. Sustainability is an ongoing project for us.

We have recently measured our zero-waste performance again, and our waste diversion rate has increased by almost one percentage point. Previously, we were at 95.6%, and now we are close to 97%. This shows us that our efforts are moving in the right direction.

We are also continuing to measure our CO₂ emissions. We plan to reassess our performance in the coming years, looking at the results over a three-year period.

Based on those results, we will make major decisions about which investments to prioritise to further improve our environmental performance.

Fructidor: Beyond sustainability, what innovations and investments are you introducing to improve your operations?

Christina Manossis: We have introduced new packaging machines that allow us to offer more sophisticated formats, including premium carton punnets with labels on top.

We now also have a trayless flow pack and a tray pack. This means we can cover a large part of the packaging requirements of the European market.

These new technologies give us greater flexibility and make our operations more cost-effective. They also improve productivity, which is very important for our business especially today,as labour is scarcer than ever. 

We have already completed our investments in controlled-atmosphere (CA) rooms. We can now store 3,000 tonnes of kiwifruit under controlled-atmosphere conditions.

Our next steps include a new packing facility for yellow kiwifruit in the coming years and a new automated packing line for our grape business.

Most of our upcoming investments will therefore focus on machinery and automation.

Fructidor: Have you already selected suppliers for the new automated equipment?

Christina Manossis: We are currently speaking with potential suppliers about the grape line and other machinery, but the process is still ongoing.

We are also considering attending Macfrut, possibly with a stand, although nothing has been decided yet. For us, it is an important opportunity to look at new technologies and machinery.

We expect to have a clearer picture of our plans by December, possibly earlier.

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