With production down to 40–50% of its normal potential due to spring frosts, the season for Greek paraguayos is moving forward. According to Mr. Yiannis Georgiou, sales manager at KOMEX: "June ended with the Platifirst and UFO 4 varieties experiencing good demand and high prices. The arrival of July brought the Platibelle variety into production, and throughout the month we will also have availability of UFO 796 and Sweet Cap. Overall, yields range from three to four tons per stremma. In August, the UFO 798 variety will come in. Of course, there are other varieties available at the same time, but these are the ones that make up the core of our Greek production."
Mr. Giorgos Nestoropoulos, president of KOMEX, comments: "In a normal season, KOMEX handles 1.600 tons of paraguayos. This year, due to the frost, we're down to about half that amount. Their prices are on par with nectarines, which means about 10% higher than round peaches. Pricing parity between flat peaches and nectarines is the standard, although in some years nectarines can fetch higher prices. Markets in Western Europe are dominated by the Spanish. This year we are making some efforts to sell to Denmark, but generally, Greek flat peaches are mostly absorbed by Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, and Hungary."
"We package paraguayos in all the formats we use for round peaches. We also use a flow pack. The European market was introduced to paraguayos by the Spanish and has grown accustomed to them. In Greece, it's only in the past 4–5 years that the fruit has started to gain recognition. In general, it's the younger generation that buys them," adds the sales manager of KOMEX.
Paraguayo cultivation is gaining ground. The president of KOMEX, one of the first to plant paraguayos in the region of Imathia, states: "Paraguayos are still in a development phase within the stone fruit orchards. I planted my first trees 15 years ago. Today, there are still new orchards that haven't yet reached productive maturity, so we expect production to increase in the coming years. On the other hand, it's a demanding fruit. The white flesh of the paraguayos makes them more sensitive to softening and bruising."
For more information:
Giorgos Nestoropoulos, Yiannis Georgiou
ΚΟΜΕΧ
Tel: +30 23310 97600
Email: [email protected]
https://komex.gr/