Four hectares of Entre Ríos were planted with actinidia deliciosa, the plant that produces kiwis, and 8,000 kilos are expected to be obtained in the first production of this fruit in that province, the provincial government reported.
Kiwifruit is a recently spread fruit tree in Argentina, where about 50% of its production is registered in the southeast of the province of Buenos Aires, and almost all of it is sold in the domestic market.
“When there is a spirit of undertaking, when there is decision, the projects advance”, remarked the governor, Gustavo Bordet, when touring the plantation.
The National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) started an experimental plantation in 2012, after defining the adoption of kiwi in this area, according to agroclimatic conditions, possible diseases, costs and marketing.
Despite having a difficulty with the hours of cold, fruits of good size and quality were obtained, according to what the market demands, INTA remarked.
The budding of the crop for this area begins in August and flowering in September, with a full flowering date at the end of September.
?We toured the first harvest of kiwis from #Between rivers. Four years ago Ricardo Yellín started this project in #Concord and thanks to the support that we manage with the Federal Investment Council, today it is a reality. pic.twitter.com/2bm7MNKIZZ
– Gustavo Bordet (@bordet) March 26, 2022
In years with low accumulation of cold hours, these stages may be delayed.
The entrepreneurship from Entre Ríos is located on former National Route 14, near the city of Concordia, in the east of the province.
Bordet pointed out that this area has the particularity of “being very generous for these crops and having a wide variety of fruits, which makes it possible to generate varieties and be able to project non-traditional productions in the future.”
The project began with INTA about four years ago, with a “good experience”indicated the producer in charge, Ricardo Yellín.
The beginning had about 2.5 hectares dedicated to kiwi, but through a loan from the Federal Investment Council (CFI) and the management of the provincial government, it was possible to extend 1.5 more hectares.
“Seeing the production today -said Bordet- clearly shows that when there is a spirit of undertaking, when there is decision, the projects advance and that spirit encourages us to carry out undertakings of this type”.
The fruit obtained can compete with that currently imported from Italy, and this year, as they are new plants, only about 2,000 kilos of kiwis per hectare will be harvested, although by 2023 it is estimated that 5,000 per hectare will continue to grow until reaching 15,000 kilos.
