Sunrise Kiwi sees tight supply and fast movement as US season delivers strong prices

Despite a projected 10 percent decline in volume, California-based Sunrise Kiwi is standing on high ground among the market tides, reporting strong pricing in the United States this season. Manager Jatinder Kullar tells FreshFruitPortal.com that steady demand and limited yields are moving supplies faster.

“There was excess demand in nearly every market we supply, and we were sold out of conventional green kiwis earlier than we've been in recent memory,” Kullar says.

The grower, packer, and shipper entered the season with prices up roughly 20 percent year-on-year, a trend that held as buyers moved aggressively to secure fruit amid broader global challenges.

A “phenomenal” crop, with some weather wrinkles

Kullar says Sunrise Kiwi benefited from favorable growing conditions during much of the season, particularly in Northern California, where most of the company’s production is concentrated.

“We had a mild summer, but experienced some wet weather during harvest,” he explains. “This delayed harvest impacted the fruit a bit, mostly some water staining. But overall, we were pleased with the quality this season from Northern California and had limited quality-related losses.”

The company’s overall volume came in lighter than last year, which Kullar attributed in part to the lingering effects of excessive heat during the previous season, which impacted bud development.

While growers continue to evaluate ways to manage heat stress, Kullar emphasizes the limits of intervention. 

“There is not much we can do to influence Mother Nature,” he says. “We all understand farming has some inherent risks, such as weather events, that are difficult to mitigate no matter what controls we have in place.”

Staying rooted as supply tightens

With US kiwi consumption continuing to grow and southern hemisphere supplies, including Chile, a key provider during the counter season, facing a shorter crop, Sunrise Kiwi plans to focus on strengthening its existing footprint.

“We are not looking to overextend and plant new vineyards outside of our scope, but will concentrate on redeveloping existing blocks that have passed their prime and are demonstrating declining production patterns,” Kullar says.

The Sunrise Kiwi executive points to Northern California’s track record as a key advantage. 

“Most of the blocks we farm are in an area that has historically been a high-quality and stable producing growing region,” he adds. “Our focus remains right here.”

Looking ahead, Kullar says the biggest surprise for Sunrise Kiwi has been the continued expansion of the category in the US market.

“The growth of kiwis domestically has been impressive as there is broader awareness of its nutritional benefits and ease of consumption,” he adds. “It helps that kiwis are available throughout the year in wholesale and retail channels, as you cannot develop markets without a consistent supply.”

That global consistency, he says, bodes well for the category overall: “I think kiwi growers in both the northern and southern hemispheres should be excited with consumption patterns across the world.”

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