Last season, Greek cherries, as well as the rest of the stone fruits, were already devastated by March due to strong frost incidents, which left almost no fruit for a large part of the season. This year, the weather is really favorable for fruit development, albeit there are some minor adversities noted.
Agia is the principal early cherry-growing region in Greece, and Kostas Nikolitsas, a local packer, says: "The cherry harvest in Agia will begin in early May. Despite the weather being favorable and being close to the starting point, I would prefer not to make forecasts. Generally, it is said that the crop will be very rich in our area and generally in Greece, despite some incidents of fruit fall. I prefer to let the weather speak before we speak, because if there is any heavy rain, there will not be a single stone left."
© Fotis Karabetsos | FreshPlaza.com
According to Mr. Nikolitsas, for this reason, "There are still no advanced trade talks or agreements between growers and packers. The season will develop according to the law of supply and demand, which in cherries changes week by week," he says, restraining himself when speaking about market forecasts. As he adds, "Other early cherry-growing areas are Lamia, Tirnavos, and Milotopos. If all these areas overlap and have much product, then already by May the market situation could be summarized in the Greek traditional phrase: 'Hey, old fella, take mine too!'"
The Greek trader says that cherries from Agia can be found almost throughout the cherry season because of the many different microclimates of the area. However, he notes that cherry growers in Agia try to achieve extra earliness for their fruits: "This is not always good because such cherries are more susceptible and more demanding when it comes to treatments, both during cultivation and post-harvest. They leave no time for waiting. Other varieties have proved to be more long-lasting, but they are not widely cultivated. Therefore, their crop is too small to be absorbed by exporters, and they are sold at very high prices in the domestic market. Exporters get in the game with the medium-early varieties."
For more information:
Kostas Nikolitsas
Nikolitsas SA (froots Hellas)
Tel: +30 249 402 2912
Mob: +30 693 496 0781
Email: [email protected]
https://www.nikolitsas.gr/en/
