Sultana, Muscat, Thomson and Crimson: In the current wholesale trade, table grapes of every variety and origin are on offer. Most of the current merchandise comes from Spain and Italy, while France, Turkey and Greece round off the supplies in the wholesale markets. The seasonal oversupply is particularly noticeable at specialized wholesalers. "We are currently selling too little compared to recent years," says a Munich importer, who offers mainly Greek table grapes.
Due to weather conditions, the majority of the Greek grapes arrived at German specialist traders three weeks later than usual. "Demand leaves much to be desired and prices are also relatively low compared to last year. Sales are therefore slow, said the man from Munich. In terms of table grapes, there were substantial losses in Greece and other growing areas in southern Europe in 2018, but this year, exceptionally, there are above-average to lush yields. "If this continues, we will be able to sell grapes from Greece until Christmas."
The late harvest start in Greece is also noticeable with other fruits. Yesterday, the first pomegranates from Greek cultivation arrived in Munich, while the Spanish goods are already available for several weeks.