As predicted before, the earlier end of the Santa Maria pear campaign has led to earlier exports of another variety, especially to Israel, says Paris Karastergios, import-export coordinator for Greek produce exporter Kastargiou P. Bros S.A.:
“The end of the Santa Maria campaign found us incapable of loading pears for all of our scheduled shipments, as the quantities were just not enough. The demand is still strong, however the clients are slowly accepting the transition to Blanquilla. The shortage of Santa Maria this season has inevitably led to earlier exports of Blanquilla pears than the previous seasons. This is true for the Israeli market, where the consumers appreciate both Santa Maria and Blanquilla. Exporting to Israel before Spain does may give us an advantage in establishing scheduled shipments until the end of Blanquilla campaign.”
The fact Blanquilla pears don’t really have a foothold in various markets yet, make importers hesitant to try importing them, Karastergios explains. “Due to the lack of pears generally in southern Europe, many clients from nearby countries are looking for pears. However, as they aren’t familiar with Blanquilla pears, they’re not willing to try out importing this variety. In general, both apples and pears are not in peak demand in Greece during the holidays, thus the demand remains stable. As for the Middle Eastern countries, the clients show a little more interest in both of these fruits, trying to book more loads than usual before New Year’s.”
In 2024 demand for pears should increase again: “My expectations remain high for the rest of the season. I believe that the demand will rise, at least until March. After that point the fresh crop of pears from the southern hemisphere will reach all European and Asian markets. That’s when we will see if the demand remains high until the end of the campaign in May, or if the clients opt for fresh Anjou or William's Triumph pears,” Karastergios concludes.
For more information:
Paris Karastergios
Karastergiou P. Bros S.A.
Tel: +30 24610 26940
Mob: +30 693 2469117
Email: paris.karastergios@karastergioubros.gr