The Central Fruit and Vegetable Market of Thessaloniki, known for trading fruits and vegetables, has been a shining star, despite the current worsening political landscape in Greece. It has been supplying fruits and vegetables both locally and internationally, without much help from the government. The company was founded and run by the Greek government since 1975, but has been a listed company ever since 1998.
According to Koukoulis Anthanasiossays, “The Greek market is overflowing with lemons from different countries - Italy, Spain, Turkey and Argentina. Because of all the competition and availability, the price has remained low and has been decreasing in recent years."
The lemon is usually used in salads or juices but. In Greece, lemon is used for almost all the local dishes. “The fruit is popular in Europe, we supply it to countries such as Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and other European countries. The key is to be aware of what exactly it is your market's looking for. Different markets, value different characteristics of the lemon, for some the size is important, for others the color is more important.”
“The Argentinian lemon in particular is known for its quality, but it is also known to be more expensive than its competition from nearby countries. The Argentinian lemon price, given the fact that this has already decreased in previous years, is at 1.45 – 1.50 per kilo, while Turkish lemon is at 1.15 per kilo and Spanish lemon is at 75 cents per kilo. The Argentinian lemon is in season during June to August, barely escaping the Spanish lemon’s peak, which ends in June.
The demand for lemons is increasing and prices are decreasing, because of high competition. Despite it being a seasonal fruit with a short shelf life, big supermarkets want it available all the time. Even with the popularity of summer fruits in Europe, these fruits hardly make a dent in the sales of lemons.
"As the demand grows, we will continue to import Argentinian lemons, as well as explore importing from other countries like South Africa.”
For more information:
Koukoulis Athanasios
Central Market of Thessaloniki (Greece)
Tel 0030 2310 764 866
Email koukoulisfruits@gmail.com
Author: Lawin Ileto / Yzza Ibrahim
According to Koukoulis Anthanasiossays, “The Greek market is overflowing with lemons from different countries - Italy, Spain, Turkey and Argentina. Because of all the competition and availability, the price has remained low and has been decreasing in recent years."
The lemon is usually used in salads or juices but. In Greece, lemon is used for almost all the local dishes. “The fruit is popular in Europe, we supply it to countries such as Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and other European countries. The key is to be aware of what exactly it is your market's looking for. Different markets, value different characteristics of the lemon, for some the size is important, for others the color is more important.”
“The Argentinian lemon in particular is known for its quality, but it is also known to be more expensive than its competition from nearby countries. The Argentinian lemon price, given the fact that this has already decreased in previous years, is at 1.45 – 1.50 per kilo, while Turkish lemon is at 1.15 per kilo and Spanish lemon is at 75 cents per kilo. The Argentinian lemon is in season during June to August, barely escaping the Spanish lemon’s peak, which ends in June.
The demand for lemons is increasing and prices are decreasing, because of high competition. Despite it being a seasonal fruit with a short shelf life, big supermarkets want it available all the time. Even with the popularity of summer fruits in Europe, these fruits hardly make a dent in the sales of lemons.
"As the demand grows, we will continue to import Argentinian lemons, as well as explore importing from other countries like South Africa.”
For more information:
Koukoulis Athanasios
Central Market of Thessaloniki (Greece)
Tel 0030 2310 764 866
Email koukoulisfruits@gmail.com
Author: Lawin Ileto / Yzza Ibrahim