The availability of Greek pears is reduced this year. "The stocks that went into cold storage are at least 65% lower than in other seasons. For example, someone who usually stored 1,200 tons this year stored only 300. Another who used to store 800 tons, this year put in only 200. There are even warehouses that are already completely empty. The Kosia and Santa Maria varieties, which were very few, are already finished. Only Krystallia pears remain in the hands of Greek traders," says Mr. Vaggelis Chaloulis, manager of the export company Tirnavos Fruit.
© Tirnavos Fruit
As the Greek exporter clarifies, this year there is demand for Greek pears from more markets, but the product must be kept for when demand rises from the main markets. "We are getting requests for Krystallia from the Netherlands and Germany, which is rare. They hesitate a bit when they hear the prices, especially for the larger fruits, but the fact that they are asking for Krystallia means they can't find enough Spanish products. However, we are sending them only small quantities. Demand from our main markets, Greece and Israel, may still be weak, but we must keep the product available for our regular customers when their demand increases."
© Tirnavos Fruit
Mr. Chaloulis says that sales are still low, but he is in no hurry to sell. He believes that all traders should insist on maintaining high prices: "This year, the average grower price settled at €1,10/kg. It seems that two-thirds of the production consists of fruits over 120 grams, while only 10% are under 100 grams. Considering packaging costs, especially for single-layer packs with large pears, the EXW price rises significantly. Therefore, only high prices are acceptable for the pears, and we can afford to wait for them. The fruits have been stored mostly for long-term preservation, as despite the dramatic drop in production, no one took the risk of betting that everything would be sold by November."
© Tirnavos Fruit
"Consumers are not focusing on just one fruit; they're buying a little of everything — some pears, some apples, some pomegranates, some nectarines. These days, for example, we are seeing very good sales of nectarines. We will have nectarines for a few more days. That's when we believe demand for pears will start to rise," concludes the manager of Tirnavos Fruit.
For more information:
Vaggelis Chaloulis
Tirnavos Fruit
Tel: +30 249 202 5842
Email: [email protected]
