The harvest of Greek figs in their main cultivation area, Markopoulo, Attica, near Athens, began at the end of July, and fortunately, the crops were unharmed by the large wildfires that burned in the area in recent days. Both the agricultural and commercial developments are also positive.
© Petouris Figs
"So far, the harvest is mainly taking place with the Vasilika figs. We have a much better production compared to last year, both in quality and quantity. Last year, we had a significant decrease in production, and we also had to discard 20% of the fruits we harvested through manual sorting due to poor quality. This year, both in appearance and flavor—which is the most important factor for us—the fruits are excellent," notes Mr. Miltos Petouris, owner of Petouris Figs.
"Vasilika figs currently yield 15 tons per hectare, that is, three to four times the number of figs compared to last year, and in general, this is a satisfactory quantity. The harvest takes place daily, and the only issue is the lack of enough workers," he adds.
© Petouris Figs
The Greek entrepreneur also points out that this year the domestic market offers such good prices that many of his colleagues find it difficult to ignore them for the sake of exports: "We export figs by air to Canada. Greek figs are the most expensive in the Canadian market. For us, on the other side of the world, this has a significant financial impact. Demand is high this year, but since the domestic market offers very high prices—€4,50–5,00 per kilo to the producer, many find it hard to pass up and prefer domestic sales."
"We do not have the necessary volumes to supply markets like Germany and France. There, Turkish figs are unbeatable. However, air shipments to Canada are ideal. We are located next to Athens airport, and the airplane capacity is perfect for our daily shipments. In Canada, our company's figs are sold in supermarket chains, for which we have designed family packs of 20x30. Knowing that supermarket shopping is predominantly done by women in Canada, we have also launched a special package, with vibrant colors, designed specifically to be more appealing to this audience," emphasizes Mr. Petouris.
© Petouris Figs
Finally, Mr. Petouris is preparing for the increased quantities of black figs that September will bring. He states: "Black figs are still few, but their quantities will increase from early September. This year, we have a 30% loss in these figs due to fertilization problems, but even so, we will have incomparably higher availability compared to last year, when losses ranged between 70–90%."
For more information:
Miltos Petouris
Petouris Figs
Tel: +30 697 080 2496
Email: [email protected]
