Sichuan kiwifruit grower goes beyond gate with Gold

Chinese kiwifruit growers are increasingly focusing on developing their own brands amid rising consumer demand for red and gold varieties. In Sichuan, orchardist Wang Yi leverages his organic fertilizer business to cultivate a 12-hectare Zespri G3 orchard alongside his red kiwifruit plots, using it as a demonstration site for sharing innovative practices. He markets G3 under his "Shang Yi" brand, noting its superior taste over local gold varieties despite lower yields and higher cultivation challenges. Locally grown G3 fetches about two-thirds the price of Zespri SunGold, making it a profitable choice.

隨著消費者對紅色和金色品種的需求不斷增長，中國獼猴桃種植者越來越注重發(fā)展自己的品牌。在四川，果園主王毅利用自己的有機肥料業(yè)務(wù)，在種植紅心獼猴桃的地塊旁培育了一個12公頃的佳沛G3果園，并將其作為分享創(chuàng)新實踐的示范基地。他以“上毅”品牌銷售G3，并指出盡管產(chǎn)量較低且種植難度較高，但其口感優(yōu)于當?shù)亟鹕贩N。當?shù)胤N植的G3價格約為佳沛SunGold的三分之二，因此是一個有利可圖的選擇。

▲新西蘭farmersweekly新聞

A recent legal case involving Zespri's successful prosecution of an unauthorized G3 grower in Wuhan highlights stricter plant variety protection enforcement, potentially slowing G3 expansion in Sichuan. However, government support for agricultural parks and relaxed land-use policies (allowing kiwifruit conversion in Chengdu) signal continued growth opportunities. Kiwifruit is now prioritized alongside citrus and blueberries as a key investment crop. Despite legal uncertainties, industry players remain optimistic about expanding production, driven by brand-building efforts and premium market positioning.

最近一起涉及佳沛（Zespri）成功起訴武漢一家未經(jīng)授權(quán)的G3種植者的法律案件，凸顯了植物品種保護執(zhí)法力度的加大，這可能會減緩G3在四川的擴張。然而，政府對農(nóng)業(yè)園區(qū)的支持以及放寬的土地使用政策（允許成都進行獼猴桃轉(zhuǎn)型）預(yù)示著持續(xù)的增長機遇。獼猴桃現(xiàn)已與柑橘和藍莓并列，成為重點投資作物。盡管存在法律上的不確定性，但在品牌建設(shè)努力和高端市場定位的推動下，行業(yè)參與者仍對擴大生產(chǎn)持樂觀態(tài)度。

▲Sichuan kiwifruit grower and marketer Wang Yi has found a good opportunity with G3 fruit for marketing a high quality, slickly packaged product that appeals to Chinese consumers. Photo: Richard Rennie

China growers get to work building kiwifruit brands of their own.中國種植者開始著手打造自己的獼猴桃品牌。

The growing popularity of Red and Gold kiwifruit among Chinese consumers is seeing a new generation of Chinese orchardists taking their fruit beyond the farm gate, building brands and marketing campaigns around them.隨著紅心和黃金奇異果在中國消費者中越來越受歡迎，新一代中國果農(nóng)正將他們的水果推向農(nóng)場大門之外，圍繞它們打造品牌和營銷活動。

In Sichuan near the provincial capital Chengdu orchardist Wang Yi has leveraged off his organic fertiliser business to develop a 12 hectare orchard planted in Zespri G3.在四川省會成都附近的果園主王毅，利用其有機肥料業(yè)務(wù)，開發(fā)了一個種植佳沛G3的12公頃果園。

The G3 orchard complements his Red orchard in the neighbouring district. It is also a demonstration orchard used to trial new methods to share among other growers in the district.G3果園與鄰近地區(qū)的紅果園相輔相成。它也是一個示范果園，用于試驗新方法，以便與該地區(qū)的其他種植者分享。

While Wang has established the orchard, he has also worked on building his own kiwifruit brand, Shang Yi, to market the G3 fruit.在建立果園的同時，王也致力于打造自己的獼猴桃品牌“上易”，以推廣G3水果。

“The G3 delivers a 25% lower yield than our local Gold variety (Jinyan) but it gains a higher price. The local Gold variety’s flavour is not as good as the G3, and locals prefer the G3 fruit, although the G3 is harder to grow.”“G3的產(chǎn)量比我們當?shù)氐狞S金品種（金巖）低25%，但價格更高。當?shù)攸S金品種的味道不如G3，盡管G3更難種植，但當?shù)厝烁矚gG3的果實。”

Chinese G3 tends to be harvested at a higher Brix (sugar) level, and at 18% dry matter compared to about 15% in NZ.中國的G3通常在較高的白利糖度（糖分）水平下收割，其干物質(zhì)含量為18%，而新西蘭的干物質(zhì)含量約為15%。

Typically, the local Gold variety will fetch about half what Zespri SunGold fruit are worth, while locally grown G3 sell at about two-thirds of what Zespri SunGold sell for.通常，本地黃金品種的價格約為佳沛陽光金奇異果的一半，而本地種植的G3價格約為佳沛陽光金奇異果的三分之二。

While working on his own brand, Wang said he would welcome the opportunity to co-operate with Zespri, given the higher premium the fruit commands with a Zespri label and the esteem it is held in by consumers. He sees the potential to complement kiwi growers by being able to fill gaps in their off-season supply with his fruit.在經(jīng)營自己的品牌時，王先生表示，他很樂意有機會與佳沛合作，因為佳沛品牌的水果價格更高，且深受消費者喜愛。他認為，自己的水果能夠填補獼猴桃種植者在淡季的供應(yīng)缺口，從而對獼猴桃種植者形成補充。

▲Typically, the local Gold variety will fetch about half what Zespri SunGold fruit are worth, while locally grown G3 sell at about two-thirds of what Zespri SunGold sell for. Photo: Richard Rennie

During a recent Farmers Weekly visit to China the China Daily, the official foreign language media mouthpiece for the Chinese government, reported on Zespri’s successful prosecution of a local grower and distributor in the Wuhan courts for the growing and sale of unauthorised Zespri G3 fruit.通常，當?shù)攸S金品種的價格約為佳沛陽光金奇異果的一半，而當?shù)胤N植的G3奇異果的價格約為佳沛陽光金奇異果的三分之二。照片：Richard Rennie 最近，《農(nóng)民周刊》訪問中國期間，中國政府的官方外文媒體喉舌《中國日報》報道了佳沛在武漢法院成功起訴一家當?shù)胤N植商和分銷商種植和銷售未經(jīng)授權(quán)的佳沛G3奇異果。

The defendant was ordered to pay around NZ$1.3 million in compensation to Zespri and required to pull out 260-plus hectares of G3 fruit. The grower is appealing the judgement.被告被判向佳沛公司支付約130萬新西蘭元的賠償金，并被要求拔除260多公頃的G3級水果。該種植者正在對該判決提起上訴。

The case’s publicity in the China Daily is significant, with the article signalling the Chinese government’s desire to prove it is following up on stricter plant variety protection laws.《中國日報》對該案的報道意義重大，該文章表明中國政府希望證明其正在執(zhí)行更嚴格的植物品種保護法。

The government has also ramped up its investment in “agri-park” research and infrastructure facilities in Sichuan province, with an aim to attract more investment, and proof of law enforcement boosts that attraction.政府還加大了對四川省“農(nóng)業(yè)園區(qū)”研究和基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施的投資，旨在吸引更多投資，而執(zhí)法的證明則增強了這種吸引力。

Wang said local growers are well aware of the court case and its implications.

He said it is likely it could lead to a slowdown in the planting of G3 in Sichuan.王說，當?shù)胤N植者非常清楚這起訴訟案件及其影響。
他表示，這很可能會導(dǎo)致四川G3的種植速度放緩。

But it remains likely that the volume of kiwifruit grown in the province – which has long been a traditional growing area for Gold and Red varieties – will only increase.但該?。ㄩL期以來一直是黃金奇異果和紅奇異果的傳統(tǒng)種植區(qū)）的奇異果種植量仍有可能只增不減。

One packhouse operator confirmed that a previous government policy that would not allow land in Chengdu to be converted from grain crops to kiwifruit has recently been wound back. Along with citrus and blueberries, kiwifruit are now regarded as one of the “big three” fruit likely to attract further investment.一名包裝廠經(jīng)營者證實，此前政府不允許成都把糧食作物用地轉(zhuǎn)為獼猴桃種植的政策最近已經(jīng)放寬。獼猴桃與柑橘、藍莓一起，被視為可能吸引更多投資的“三大”水果之一。