Kiwi

When you think of Asturias, exotic fruit like kiwis might not be the first thing that comes to mind. But that might be changing soon. Asturian farmers have planted more than 200 hectares (almost 500 acres) of kiwifruit, and are expanding. After a number of years languishing in obscurity, Asturian kiwi production is beginning to rise. Previously overshadowed by the massive operations in nearby Italy, both planted acres and yields are headed up.

A Brief History

The origin of this fruit is in the valley of the Yangtse river, in China. There it grows wild at elevations form 600 to 2000 meters. In the early 20th century, Isabel Fraser, the principal of Wanganui Girls’ College in New Zealand took some seeds home after a trip. In 1906 a local nurseryman, Alexander Allison, planted the seeds, with the vines first fruiting in 1910. It quickly became popular in that country. In 1924 Hayward Wright in Avondale New Zealand developed the now famous ‘Hayward’ cultivar.

In the 1960s kiwifruit made its way into Europe. Immediately, Italy became enamored of the fuzzy little fruits, and began planting them in earnest. Soon, Italy was the largest producer of kiwifruit in the world. A position it still holds today. Eventually, at the beginning of the 1970s some experimental plantations that were carried out in Asturias. Manuel Coque, head of horticulture at the research center in Villaviciosa was the prime driver of this process.

The market in Spain was certainly ripe for exploitation by local farmers. At that time kiwis were sold in Spain, not by the kilo, but individually. Then, in the early 1980s, a few commercial plantations were established. Chief among these early adopters was the Cimas family, who run Kiwis la Isla in Soto del Barco. A literal “kiwi island”, founded by the elder Cimas in 1983.

Kiwi Farming Today

In 2016, the Asturian kiwi harvest reaches 5,000 tons spread over 162 hectares. Since then, several new plantations have been added. Almost all are in the Nalón basin, with its steady humidity and deep, well-drained soil. The Pravia, Soto del Barco and Muros de Nalón concejos make up the lions share of production in Asturias. A secondary area is becoming established in the Narcea valley, as far inland as Salas. These areas together account for more than 60% of the total regional production. Smaller plantations exist in several other coastal areas.

Farmers are feeling the effects of a rubber-banding in the market. Demand for kiwis in Spain is growing by 11% every year. However, new plantations take 5 or 6 years to begin producing fruit. Add to this the high price of farmland in Asturias, and there is a tension. Prior to the recent explosion in demand, Spain was already consuming 10 times as many kiwis as it was producing.

The Future of Asturian Kiwifruit

Asturias is, like most of Spain, in the middle of a generational turnover in land holding. There also seems to be more willingness among the younger generation to remain on the land. People now see the disadvantages of being cooped up in 65m² apartments for a year. This plague year could spell a slowing, or even reversing, of the breakneck urbanization of Spain. That process has left many villages nearly empty, and shocking amounts of productive land fallow.

As I have looked at land and houses to buy in Asturias I have come across a number of fields for sale. I have been told multiple times that one piece of land or another is well-suited for kiwifruit. If even the real estate agents are touting the crop to foreigners, there is something there. I suspect we will see a serious rise in new kiwi farms in the near future of Asturias. You never know, one of them could be mine.