Kiwifruit

Kiwifruit – A Journey from Seed to Table

Kiwifruit, native to the Yangtze River Valley in China, is a highly nutritious and delicious fruit, rapidly gaining global popularity. While individuals may think of the Kiwifruit as a single, ready-to-eat product, its journey has many stages, beginning with its seed and concluding with it appearing atop an individual's dinner plate.

The process begins when the bee pollinates a receptacle that contains the ovules, or seed. As the bee moves away to its next pollination site, the ovary wall of the receptacle thickens, forming a protective shell. The ovule, or seed, remains in the receptacle for 2 to 3 months, undergoing a long period of dormancy before being ripe for germination.

Once the kiwifruit is ready to be germinated, a process called stratification is engaged. Stratification involves exposing the seeds to various temperatures and moisture levels over a period of several weeks before planting. This helps breakdown the tough outer seed coat that prevents the seed from germinating, preparing the seed for optimal planting conditions for healthy establishment.

Now that the seed is ready for planting, the farmer has access to multiple kiwifruit cultivars and can choose the variety best suited to his land and climate. Next, the seed is either planted directly into the ground or in a seedbed such as a greenhouse. As the stem starts to emerge and the leaves begin to sprout forth, the seed’s root system begins to develop providing the kiwifruit with its first source of nutrition.

As the kiwifruit plants continue to mature, they require pruning, fertilizer and pest control. All of these factors enhance the plant’s development and life-span, as well as the tastes and quality of the fruit of which will be produced. Inspectors are also regularly employed to verify that the process of growth and development is going according to plan.

Once the plant matures, the kiwifruit is ready for harvest. As the fruit turns yellow and tender on the vine, harvest teams will collect the kiwifruit to be shipped to the processing location. This is an incredibly delicate process viewing the harvest teams must be vigilant in ensuring that the fragile kiwifruit make it unharmed to the next step in their journey.

Upon reaching the processing facility, the kiwifruit must first be cleaned and sorted. The sorting process separates out the damaged and oversized fruit to be used for other purposes such as juicing instead of fresh retail. Additional checks are also taken to guarantee only the finest quality fruit go through further processing steps.

Finally, the kiwifruit are then packed into cartons to be shipped to the various locations around the world. Strict regulations for handling and shipping must be met by each kiwifruit farm, as the fruit must be dormant in its packaging for up to three weeks as it travels from its source to its destination.

It’s been a long journey, but the kiwifruit have finally arrived alive and well at their destination. This is the point where the kiwifruit will travel further down the supply chain and make it to the dinner tables of many. The kiwifruit is now ready to be eaten as-is or used as part of a delicious recipe. Either way, it’s certainly a journey that every kiwifruit makes with every bite.

In conclusion, the journey of kiwifruit from seed to table is a fascinating and intricate process that often goes unseen. However, each and every step of the way requires diligence, attention and care in order to guarantee the finest quality fruit makes it to the dinner table. This process includes pollination, stratification and planting, pruning and pest control, harvesting, cleaning and packing. But the most important step of all, lies with the consumer – after all, the kiwifruit’s journey wouldn’t be complete without their true appreciation.