Greek producers of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are currently present in the market with small quantities, gradually preparing for the expansion of their harvest. However, this expansion will unfold at different times and reach significantly different scales for each fruit.
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Mr. Antreas Kordonouris from the sales department of Berry Plasma, headquartered in Ilia, where the vast majority of these crops are concentrated, notes: "At the moment, raspberries in Ilia are very limited. Only specific varieties bear fruit during this period, and we no longer cultivate them, as they do not provide satisfactory yields. However, from mid-April, all producers will be present in the market and, depending on the varieties, each producer's production peak will take place in stages from mid-April until mid-May. In our company, however, the raspberry harvest lasts 42-43 weeks."
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"As for blueberries, we have already been harvesting for almost fifteen days, but with small quantities. Our harvesting period lasts 14 weeks, but the production peak is still some time away. It will occur at the end of April, while northern Greece, which holds a significant share of the production, will enter the market from the end of May. As for blackberries, here in Ilia we will have them from the end of the current month. Our harvesting period lasts 12 weeks."
During this period, apart from marketing its own production, Berry Plasma is going through the final phase of its imports, which mainly concern blueberries. "At the moment, there is a shortage in all three fruits, and we are bringing the last blueberries from Peru via the Netherlands. Due to the shortage, prices are high," comments Mr. Kordonouris.
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The representative of the Greek company also refers to the particularities of the Greek market regarding retail packaging: "We produce all packaging sizes, depending on what our customers request: 125 grams, 250 grams, 400 grams, and even 1 kilo for blueberries. However, in the Greek retail market, unlike, for example, the German one, the 125-gram pack overwhelmingly dominates. This happens because it is more affordable in price and therefore more easily chosen by Greek consumers who have not yet become accustomed to consuming these three fruits. On the contrary, in Germany, at the peak of the season, packs of 250, 300, and 500 grams are the most common."
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Finally, Mr. Kordonouris notes that from next year and for the following three years, Greek production of blueberries and raspberries will increase. "The number of producers who have planted these fruits in Ilia has increased significantly. However, something similar will not happen with blackberries. It is a crop that is both more demanding and more difficult in terms of finding suitable varieties."
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For more information:
Antreas Kordonouris
Berry Plasma
Tel: +30 26230 73057
Email: [email protected]
https://berryplasma.gr/
