<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sacramento, CA-</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">2.2.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>This season’s 7.2 million tray crop - 2 million less than last year- has caused California kiwi prices to soar.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/kiwifruit_price_feb_2013_BANNER.jpg" alt="Cropped Images 02012013" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Save for last year’s bumper crop, this season’s haul is in line with typical production. Combined with a smaller Italian crop, demand is strong for the fruit translating to higher prices for growers, according to Eat Drink Explore.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/Kiwifruit_w_Spoon.jpg" alt="Cropped Images 02012013" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The season started off on the right foot for California producers. New Zealand and Chilean supplies were largely depleted before Californian fruit hit store shelves. "We just didn't have much in the way of competition," said Nick Matteis with the California Kiwifruit Commission in Sacramento.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/Kiwifruit_Hanging.jpg" alt="Cropped Images 02012013" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">98 percent of the U.S. crop is grown in California, and provides the majority of fruit to retailers in the western region.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Chilean fruit should return to stores sometime in mid-to-late March, according to Matteis.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://kiwifruit.org/" target="_new">Kiwifruit Commission</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
