"The strawberry market is good at the moment for Greek strawberries, but it is slower than we had anticipated. I expect that demand will continue to increase over the next few weeks as the weather becomes warmer. We have had good production so far this season, with good sizes and good flavour/juiciness, which is very similar to last year," said Dimitris Lagios from Q-Agroculture.
The company has its own strawberry production, but also works with other producers in the area. The strawberries are grown in greenhouses, making production production from November and typically lasting through to the end of May.
"Our total production is expected to fall between 3-4,000 tons this season. The reason why this is such a large range is because we are very picky. We only send out the very best, and the berries which don't meet our qualifications are sent on for juice in the domestic market. We manage the farms and packing houses we work with, so we are able to pack the berries according to what the customer needs, for any size or type of packaging." Dimitris explains.
The main variety grown is Camerosa, which has been seeing success for the past 10 years. The main export destinations are Northern Europe and the Middle East. When asked about the differences between the two markets, Dimitris replied, "What both markets are looking for is pretty much identical, with the same specs for freshness, firmness, juiciness. The only small difference is that the Middle wants at least 90% colouring and they also tend to want smaller packaging compared to the European market."
"I believe that Greece has wonderful production of a lot of fruits and has a lot of potential in the global market. The 225 days of sunlight a year adds a lot of sugar and flavour."
For more information:
Dimitris Lagios
Q-Agroculture
Tel. +30-6974-800 961
Email: lagiosd@gmail.com