Chilean kiwifruit producers celebrated the beginning of the 2016 harvest with a March 22 field day to Curicó where gold-colored variety, Soreli, took center stage.

At least five orchards of Soreli kiwifruit were harvested in Chile during the third and fourth weeks of March, indicated a press release distributed by Biogold Sudamérica (BGSA). The variety stands out not only for its distinct color, but also for its superior ability to resist kiwifruit disease PSA.

The fruit of this harvest is now destined for markets in the United States, Korea and China.

Attendees at the field day included producers and exporters, breeders from the University of Chile, Chilean Kiwifruit Committee President Carlos Cruzat, and Biogold International Director Peter Turner.

“We are very happy with the advances that are being made with this variety and we believe Chile has a great opportunity to position itself as a top supplier of this product in the world,” Turner said in the BGSA release.

BGSA Director Rodrigo Cruzat said producers are currently defining standards for Soreli production and observing how the variety behaves under Chilean growing conditions.

“Our studies and experience tell us that Soreli is a good alternative and the earliest of the varieties that are being produced in the country, which we are seeing this season with the March 20 harvests,” Cruzat said in the release.

Soreli is grown in Chile under a club variety model, which include 200 hectares of land  around Buin and San Clemente shared between Subsole, Dole, Rucaray, Unifrutti and CCF.

“The collaboration that we’ve had between partner companies has been fundamental,” Cruzat said.

Turner indicated that Chile’s gold kiwifruit production in on track to take on the world’s largest suppliers.

“If we continue doing things well, we have no doubt that Soreli will become one of the best gold kiwifruit options for producers in the world, not only for its own merits, but also because it could complement other commercial varieties very well,” Turner said.

Photos: courtesy of Biogold Sudamérica

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