India— the diabetes capital of the world has realised the potential benefits of kiwi as a nutritional powerhouse that helps regulate sugar among its other benefits. From being a difficult to source and expensive fruit, kiwi has come a long way since its introduction to the Indian market in early 2000s.
Today, demand for the fruit substantiates the stocked supermarket shelves with this nutrient rich super food. “The Indian fruit market has changed since the lockdown started. Although restrictions have been lifted in certain states, others are still struggling. It has resulted in less demand for the more perishable products, like grapes. Meanwhile kiwifruit and citrus have become more popular in the country,” stated a recent report.
The market for this fuzzy fruit increased as people started savouring the taste and understanding its nutrition content. Kiwi contains vitamin C, folate, potassium, antioxidants and dietary fibres such as potassium, vitamin E and trace minerals. In India, kiwi was first planted in the LalBagh Gardens at Bangalore as an ornamental tree. However, 75% of the demand for Kiwi in India is imported from New Zealand, Chile, Iran, Germany and Italy. India imported 43K tonnes kiwi in the year 2019.
The global value of consumption of kiwi fruit is forecasted to reach USD 20,051 million by 2024, from USD 14,262.6 million in 2018, states Mordor Intelligence.
When introduced, kiwi entered Indian markets in pack sizes of 2-3 unit punnet sizes, primarily due to the price point and lack of information to generate robust demand among the consumers. With time, acceptance for this exotic fruit increased and people were no longer hesitant in buying larger quantities. Zespri International— world’s largest marketer of kiwi fruit states that India is the strongest emergent market for kiwis adding that among all exotic fruits, Kiwi has witnessed the fastest growth, with a compound annual growth rate of 80-100%. Therefore, packaging for higher quantities of kiwi emerged and became a significant factor in its consumption growth.
High variety in packaging options helped increase consumption of kiwis. Because of their high impact and pressure-sensitivity, kiwis are packed in single layers in plastic punnets. Consumers were introduced with three-piece kiwi packs, which were later followed by packs of two, four and more. The PNG 600 triangle punnet is an innovative design from the house of AVI Global Plast under its brand Prime Punnets. We have been pioneers in introducing new designs to the market across products, over the years.
Leave a Reply