The spring frosts have had a direct impact on the Greek pear and apple production this season, says Paris Karastergios, import-export coordinator for Greek produce exporter Kastargiou P. Bros S.A.: "This Greek pear season, we face the consequences of the spring frosts. The very first blossoms of the pear trees were affected, resulting in a volume drop of nearly 50% for all varieties, compared to 2024. The same problem also occurred in the apples' cultivation, but due to the wide range of productive regions of apples in Greece, the overall volume drop varies between the regions. In general, the production is at least 20% lower compared to last year."
© Karastergiou P. Bros S.A.
After a slower start, trade for Greek pears is picking up, while demand for apples is balancing out after a strong start, Karastergios explains. "The demand for Santa Maria pears has started slowly in August, but now it's getting higher as the local crops in the Middle East have almost run out. Blanquilla pears are still low in demand in the local market, and we expect them to start selling more after New Year's. As for apples, the interest for Granny Smith was very vivid at the beginning of September for some early batches that had been ready to be commercialized, but now, as the other apple varieties are becoming available, the demand is more balanced."
Kastargiou P. Bros will look for new markets while also maintaining its position in the Middle East, Karastergios emphasizes: "Our main target markets remain the countries of the Middle East. However, this year we would like not only to enter some new markets, such as Malaysia and Oman with apples, but also to establish our position in the Gulf, both with apples and pears."
© Karastergiou P. Bros S.A.
Due to the lower availability of top fruit in general, demand in Asia will be very strong this season. "Our main competitor in the Asian markets is Türkiye, with big volumes of top fruits, and really competitive prices. However, Turkish producers and exporters face the same problem as we do here in Greece, having much lower volumes available. Also, Polish and Serbian apples have been widely appreciated in the Asian markets, but we try to keep up with the competition by offering a shorter transit time and high-quality produce," Karastergios concludes.
For more information:
Paris Karastergios
Karastergiou P. Bros S.A.
Tel: +30 24610 26940
Mob: +30 693 2469117
Email: [email protected]
