The early varieties of citrus have finished, and Greece is now turning to its mid-season varieties, and so far it's been a lot of rain, says George Frangistas, managing director of Greek citrus exporter Gefra:
"The Greek citrus season is still ongoing at this point. All of the early varieties are now finished, and therefore we've since switched to the mid-season varieties. From the start in October, the Greek citrus season has been plagued by continuous rains and high temperatures. The compounded effect has been very detrimental, and the pattern remains ongoing."
© Gefra
Frangistas states that it's been a challenging market, with lower prices than last year. "Commercially speaking, the markets have been rather difficult, with products steadily trading at price levels that are below the levels that we've seen during the previous campaign. All of the European markets have been oversupplied throughout the season, and the continuous pressure from Egypt's citrus is aggravating an already depressed citrus market."
Like the prices, the export levels for Greek citrus have also been lower this year: "That being said, despite these difficulties, the Greek fruit is superb in regards to both its quality and sizing. Overall export volumes are down by 15 to 20 per cent year-on-year, while prices are also five to ten per cent below the prices of last season," Frangistas concludes.
Gefra will be exhibiting at Fruit Logistica. You can find their booth in Hall 8.2, stand A-10.
For more information:
George Frangistas
Gefra
Tel: +30 69 32 20 12 72
[email protected]
www.gefra.gr
