A grower and exporter of strawberries in Greece expects their volume of strawberries shipped to the Gulf region to steadily rise this year, if the current demand is anything to go by. According to Georgie Rorgorar of Kaplanis Fruits, the company expects to ship 30 tons weekly to UAE to feed their growing appetite. Kaplanis started exporting strawberries to Dubai last year.“We have been growing strawberries for the last six years, we specialize in the premium quality and we do everything from growing, picking to packing and exporting. Currently we only grow Fortuna and Camarosa varieties which are exported to UAE and Europe respectively,” explains Rorgorar.
The season for Fortunas has just begun and is expected to go through March to early April, while the season for Camarosas will kick off end of December.
Consumers in the UAE prefer the Fortuna which is good looking, as opposed to Europe which prefers Camarosa, a sweeter variety. However, both markets “Go for high premium produce with no chemicals. Our strawberries are also certified,” adds Rorgorar.
She also added that both Europe and Dubai have similarities in terms of preference which is the reason behind the growing demand for their strawberries. “At Kaplanis, we only produce the premium quality as we are well aware of what our clients want. We have employed well educated agronomists who ensure we have the same quality of strawberries throughout the seasons."
Despite logistical challenges cited by other producers, Rorgorar said Kaplanis has done its best in ensuring its clients get the strawberries at the best quality and right time.
“Yes there’s a challenge as we have to use air freight to ship to UAE, it is a disadvantage but it’s doable, we have to get the Greek products to the Gulf market,” she says. Kaplanis Fruits expects its annual production to rise from 4,000 tons last year to 5,000 tons this year. All the production is done in greenhouses.
For more information:
Gerogie Rorgorar
Kaplanis Fruits (Greece)
Tel: 0030-26230-71846
Email: kaplanisfruits1@gmail.com