Our Kakis originate predominantly from Spain. Only small supplementary quantities - for example from Italy or Israel - arrive in the European markets. But Swiss company Gebana has now managed to offer organic Kakis from Greece for the first time. And the resonance with Swiss private households was enormous, company spokeswoman Sandra Dütschler confirms.
The Greek organic farmer Takis Pantazis has been supplying Gebana AG with oranges, lemons and clementines for years. "This year he asked us whether we could also sell his persimmons," says Dütschler. This resulted in a trial delivery of 240 crates in week 45, which had previously been advertised via social media.
Organic grower Takis Pantazis has dedicated himself to persimmon cultivation for several years now. He had not yet exported them.
Interesting market potential
"The demand seems to be there. Because the shipment was completely sold out within a few hours," says Ms. Dütschler. Gebana AG mainly serves private households as well as smaller commercial customers. "Our marketing is mainly done by pre-ordering, which is why the goods are delivered directly to the customer. On the one hand, the customer gets the goods delivered as fresh as possible, on the other hand, we as retailers do not need to store the goods temporarily, which is why we do not have any storage costs."
Persimmons of the Hana Fuyu variety
The so-called Fuyu organic persimmons from Greece are related to the persimmon, but have firm flesh and a thin skin. They are delivered in 8 kg cardboard boxes. When stored in a cool, dark and dry place, Fuyu persimmons will keep for about two months. "We send a questionnaire to our customers and are eagerly awaiting their feedback," they explain. An expansion of the project next fall is very likely - as long as customer feedback is good.
Another lockdown in Greece
In parallel to the Kaki project, the Greek government once again decided on a complete lockdown last week. Although the southeastern European country is one of the most important supply countries for Gebana AG, the situation is not worrying yet. "During the first Corona wave we did not have any Greek product and therefore hardly felt the negative effects. Now we hope that there will be no delay during the procurement of goods."
For more information:
Gebana AG 
Sandra Dütschler
+41 433 66 65 06
s.duetschler@gebana.com
www.gebana.com