Kiwifruit harvest in Greece came to an end last week, and only a few quantity of low-quality fruits still remain unpicked. According to Mr. Dionysis Iliadis, owner of Elita S.A., a packer based in Imathia, these fruits are those that could not possibly be harvested on time due to rain.
© Elita S.A.
"November rainfalls created some complications in the harvest schedule for some farms. Therefore, some fruits developed too high Brix levels and were finally left unharvested. This is also the case for some fruits of small size, but I think that, finally, a buyer will appear even for these fruits. Our company completed its kiwifruit supplies two weeks ago. We have gathered 13.000 tons, paying about 1,15 euros/kg. This was the average price of this season," he says.
© Elita S.A.
The Office of Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Greek Embassy in Washington announced the abolition of the 15% retaliatory import duty in the U.S. on a range of Greek products, such as kiwifruit and cherries. This was very helpful for the beginning of the Greek kiwifruit exports. "For the moment, we have sold about 3.000 tons mostly to the USA, Canada, and Brazil. The increased duty was very good news for us. In general, we can pass the price at which the fruits were bought to our buyers without problem," Mr. Iliadis comments.
The Greek exporter does not expect a great sales pace for the next month. "Now the market is loaded with many fruits. We have to wait for it to absorb them. I think that for the next month the sales will be relaxed, but this is normal. As for Italy and Spain, they will make their presence stronger in the new year. Maybe Italians have enough Hayward for the moment."
© Elita S.A.
Last season, Greek kiwifruit entered cooling chambers not in perfect condition. This led to rushed sales from March and a loss of profit. However, this season things have improved. "Quality is better than last year, and stocks can last longer. On the contrary, sizes are smaller. There are quite many 30-33-sized fruits (85-105 grams)," Mr. Iliadis concludes.
For more information
Dionysis Iliadis
Elita S.A.
Tel: +30 233 204 1222
Mob: +30 697 056 6561
Email: [email protected]
https://elitafruits.gr/
