by Ruth Banks

Home-grown kiwi fruits could be hitting supermarket shelves by 2012, as the first commercial trial in the UK gets under way in Kent.

The exotic fruits have never been produced in the country on a large scale, but 1,200 vines have now been planted in a secret location in east Kent.

It’s hoped they could provide a viable alternative to imported produce from countries such as Italy, Greece and France.

The trial has been spearheaded by fruit distribution and marketing company Worldwide Fruit, which already has a presence in apple and pear production at Whitstable.

Technical director Tony Harding said: "It's early days yet, but we are excited by the prospect of producing a commercially viable UK-grown Kiwi fruit crop.

“If it is grown on the doorstep, you’ve got less of a carbon impact and we know that UK consumers like to buy British produce.”

The company is confident there will be plenty of demand from the UK’s £20m kiwi fruit market.

It already has the backing of major retailer Marks and Spencer, which has helped fund the project.

The scheme’s also been welcomed by horticultural experts.

Chris Atkinson, Head of Science at East Malling Research, said it was a wise decision to diversify into exotic fruits in the face of global warming.

Earlier this year, he warned that traditional British crops could struggle grow in warmer temperatures.

But while climate change threatens the future of apples and pears, it provides opportunities for more exotic produce.

The main challenge will be producing a fruit that tastes as good as foreign imports.

“Our biggest fear is frost, but we’re hopeful that the flowering time of the varieties that we’ve planted will avoid the major frost period,” added Mr Harding.

“We’re not planning to use poly-tunnels, but there are technologies that have been developed recently which you can spray on the crop to protect the flowers and young fruit.

“Ten years ago we were told that we’d never produce UK Braeburn apples to a standard that would be good enough, but now they’re now regarded as some of the best in the world.

“We’re keen to look at the perceived boundaries of production and stretch that position.”