According to Athanassios Molassiotis, Assistant Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, two facts mark Greece’s cherry campaign this year. “The first is the increase in production volumes, mostly as a result of increased plantings in many parts of North Greece, which could result in Greece becoming the world’s sixth or seventh largest cherry producer in the next few years. The second one is the relative delay in the harvest this season, depending on the location as a result of the weather conditions.”
He also affirms that the Russian embargo has been especially damaging to the interests of Greek producers, since Russia was a master destination for the cherry fruit. “The problem we face is that, due to the crisis in Greece, and the high cost involved in producing cherries, cherry is proven to be a relatively expensive fruit for domestic consumers”.
The lifting of the embargo would consequently be very positive for Greek cherry producers, but for now, they will have to rely more on other destinations and work hard to penetrate these based on Greek’s cherry fruit quality and early harvest period. “Greek exporters look for new markets to replace Russia. In any case, the markets of Western Europe are very important for us,” concludes Dr. Molassiotis.
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