The Italian kiwifruit industry has some cause for optimism in this coming campaign with a lower incidence of vine disease Psa, but the Centro Servizi Ortofrutticoli (CSO) says the sector should take note of lower consumption at home and aggressive competition from Greece in foreign markets.

In a recent presentation, CSO director Elisa Macchi said it was essential the industry did not "rest on its laurels", and needed to put the utmost of its energies into expanding exports into more countries and consolidating higher product quality standards.

She said forecasts indicated there would be a 2% rise in production this year to 437,450 metric tons (MT), while yields were up 20% in orchards that weren't affected by Psa.

Thie production level is still 7% lower than the 2009-12 average.

Higher productivity on non-affected orchards coincides with an overall decline in the amount of land dedicated to the crop in Italy, which is about 2% lower at 24,800ha.

Leading production zone Lazio witnessed the lowest decline in production area this year, down 1% to 7,279ha, but other leading regions such as Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont had falls in hectarage of 7%, 5% and 4% respectively.

Italian growers will be hopeful to replicate its success on the export front last year, when average prices were up 9% at €1.22 (US$1.55) per kilogram (2.2 pounds). This may be difficult though with the Russian market closed, and an expected 6% increase in the Northern Hemisphere crop.

Macchi said Italy would continue to be the world's leading kiwifruit producer with supply in line with last year, but it would have to compete with higher volumes from Greece, Spain and France.

In other growing regions however, the executive pointed to decreased production in Portugal, California and South Korea.

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