The greenhouse watermelon harvest in Ilia, Greece, has just started. Mr. Thanasis Pittas, owner of the local packing company Ilias Fruits, depicts the situation at the very beginning: "We started harvesting today, according to the normal calendar. This weekend, about 100–200 tons will be harvested, while grower prices are reaching high levels, even 1 euro per kg, without harvest cost included. Currently, we are talking only about Bostana watermelons. Varela and Florida watermelons will be available from May 10. The average caliber of the fruits is a bit smaller than last season. The first fruits go both to the domestic market and exports, to Polish, Romanian, and Czech wholesalers. At this moment, we have not yet announced prices for supply programs to retailers. This will be done next week."
© Fotis Karabetsos | FreshPlaza.com
The Greek exporter is very confident about the favorable course of this marketing season. As he stresses, "Due to rainfall and cold weather during the cultivation period, many growers did not manage to plant or uncover their estates at the right time. Therefore, the rest of the greenhouse season calendar has been disrupted in a way very favorable for us. Despite production being multiplied by almost ten next week and even more the following week, thus reducing the product price, a significant part of the watermelon greenhouses will still be inactive. A similar production delay has also been noticed in open-field cultivations both in Ilia and Kiparissia. It seems that they will not enter the markets before May 20 or 25."
"The open-field watermelons, which were slightly more widely planted this season, constitute the majority of the Greek watermelon supply, with 90% of them going for exports. In combination with the late entry into production for a significant share of greenhouses, whose hectares remained almost stable, this means that greenhouse watermelons can reach exceptionally high prices this season. We only hope people have enough money to buy them. Anyway, instead of finishing the greenhouse season between May 10 and 15, some growers will enter the markets after these dates, and the whole greenhouse season will last until about June 10," Mr. Pittas concludes.
For more information:
Thanasis Pittas
Ilias Fruits
Tel: +30 2622 092 310
Email: [email protected]
https://iliasfruits.gr/en/
