The tornado and heavy rains of last week in the main strawberry-growing region of Greece, Ilia, did not cause significant damage to the overall production, despite some greenhouses being completely destroyed. The main problem for local growers and packers is the very limited sunshine.
© Aelia Berries
As Mr. Giorgos Drakopoulos, vice-president of the local cooperative Aelia Berries, points out, production cannot actually increase. "There is no significant damage to the production, nor has the delivery of our products been delayed or affected in any way by damage to various roadways. The real problem is that there is not enough sunshine to increase our harvest volumes."
"This weather causes us despair. Production remains consistently low, even though at this time of year we should be approaching the peak of our season. We simply don't know when we will have enough strawberries. Actual production from the better estates stands at 100–150 kg every 5 to 7 days. The appearance of the plantations under the cloudy sky is disappointing, but it changes immediately when the sun comes out. We try to secure as much production as possible during the two or three hours of sunshine we have," emphasizes Mr. Drakopoulos.
© Aelia Berries
The executive of the Greek cooperative also adds: "The majority of the production consists of the Arwen variety. The Victory variety is also increasing its volumes these days, while there are some delayed quantities of the Fortuna variety due to problems during planting. However, overall production is low, and instead of simply focusing on harvesting, we must also concentrate on different tasks, such as removing leaves, discarding damaged fruits, and combating botrytis. These tasks have a direct impact on increasing production costs."
© Aelia Berries
"The average grower price is around 4,00–4,50 euros per kg. Packing houses sell their product from 5,00 to 6,20 euros per kg, depending on sorting and packaging costs for each batch. No one can meet the demand, and there are requests that remain unfulfilled. Prices are higher, but profit also depends on the kilos, which are insufficient. We don't know when this situation will change; it is entirely a matter of the weather," concludes Mr. Drakopoulos.
For more information:
Giorgos Drakopoulos
Aelia Berries
Tel: +30 262 307 2072
Email: [email protected]
