The harvest of Acco pomegranates in Greece is progressing with small volumes so far, as the season is delayed. "Up to now, there has just been a small picking of the few pomegranates that were ready, just enough to enter the market. We are still waiting for the fruits to gain color. Around September 15, normal quantities will enter the market," comments Mr. Iosif Mertyris, a pomegranate trader from Ermioni, Argolida.
"In terms of quality, there doesn't seem to be any problem, but with pomegranates, you never know what might happen. Just two days before placing them in cold storage, it could rain, and problems may arise. However, as far as sizes are concerned, I am not satisfied with the production in Ermioni. Each business sets its own minimum threshold for the size of fruits it will trade. We set it at 80 millimeters, and this year I see many fruits below that limit," notes Mr. Mertyris.
© Iosif Mertyris
On the commercial side, demand for Greek pomegranates is still lukewarm, but they manage to fetch good prices, according to the Greek trader. As he says, "The first few fruits left the fields at last year's good prices. There are still pomegranates of other origins on the market, and this helps the few Greek Acco to raise their price somewhat, although they remain cheaper than the others. In any case, we are talking about a pomegranate that enters the market during a period of warm weather and an abundance of summer fruits that create strong competition. When the weather gets colder, pomegranate consumption will increase, but by then the Acco will be over."
"Nevertheless, although few pomegranates were ready to be harvested, the great shortage of workers led some growers to accept even 10 cents less, in order for the fruit to reach the market on time. The shortage of workers will continue to trouble us throughout the season and for all products."
Finally, the local PDO pomegranates of Ermioni will be ready for harvest from the end of September to the beginning of October. "I believe that by October 5, we will have harvested 5–10% of this variety. From October 10 onwards, all the orchards will enter production. However, Ermioni pomegranates are difficult to sell abroad. Their half-red, half-yellow skin color puts off consumers who are used to the deep red of Acco and Wonderful," concludes Mr. Mertyris.
For more information:
Mertyris
Iosif Mertyris
Tel: +30 275 403 2287
Email: [email protected]
