The spring carrot harvest in Viotia and Evia, the two main carrot-growing areas in Greece, is progressing at a slow pace so far. Ms. Fotini Papaefstathiou, a member of the management of the carrot production and trading company Katselis, based in Thebes (Viotia), points out: "The harvest began in late April, but due to persistent rainfall, there is some delay in yield increase, and few products are going out from the fields so far. Crops have not shown their real potential yet. The exact level of the yields will be shown after mid-May, maybe towards the end of the month, but in any case, we expect increased production, as the cultivation area has been expanded by about 20% compared to the last season."
© Katselis
"The new carrots are characterized by good sizes and uniformity. There is an absence of very big or very small carrots. The treatments for this cultivation cycle had been applied before the extreme increase that the war in the Middle East has caused in the prices of fertilizers and phytosanitary products. Therefore, there is only the burden of the increased fuel prices, which have made carrot production costlier by about 17% compared to the previous season. There is a similar increase in the grower price. However, as the new cultivation cycle for the autumn carrots is still ahead of us, we expect the production cost to increase then by 40%, taking into consideration the current situation of agricultural input prices," Ms. Papaefstathiou adds.
© Katselis
Katselis team. From left, Glykeria Lamprou (production manager), Fotini Papaefstathiou (member of the management), and Frideriki Argiriou (sales manager).
Finally, concerning the market situation, the executive of the Greek company is calm and expects exports to intensify soon: "Demand is not intense so far, but the domestic market relies almost 100% on the local product. At this moment, our company exports to Poland, but there is also demand from Romania. Exports are currently absorbing 30% of the crop, but from mid-May onward this percentage will double. Egypt does not constitute a problem for us, neither here nor abroad. For example, in Italy, Egyptian carrots are certainly cheaper, but there is no comparison with the Greek product when it comes to quality and certification. Greek carrots have a loyal clientele."
© Fotis Karabetsos | FreshPlaza.com
For more information:
Fotini Papaefstathiou
Katselis
Tel: +30 226 209 4296
Email: [email protected]
https://katselis-sa.gr/eng.html
