Greek pear production was very limited this year due to the March frost and the April rains that hit Tyrnavos, the main growing region for the product. Many Greek traders didn't even bother to buy pears from producers this year, while many of those who did source pears report that they will have sold out their stocks by the Christmas holidays.
© Platanoulia Agricultural Cooperative, Froutopigi
Batches of Santa Maria packed these days by Platanoulia Agricultural Cooperative, Froutopigi
"Production is down by 50-60% this year, and at this moment, stocks are already very low. Kosia pears are already sold out everywhere, while our cooperative will have Santa Maria pears available for another month. Their prices range from €1,35-1,40 to €1,80-1,90 per kilo, depending on the sizes, all of which are available. After that, we have the Krystallia pears, which we expect to finish by February," says to FreshPlaza Mr. Kostas Malakos, president of the Platanoulia Agricultural Cooperative, Froutopigi.
© Platanoulia Agricultural Cooperative, FroutopigiBatches of Santa Maria packed these days by Platanoulia Agricultural Cooperative, Froutopigi
"Demand is high, and this is reflected in the prices of the Krystallia pears. Large pears in single-layer packaging are priced above €2,00 per kilo. Only the 80–90 gram pears are priced below one euro. However, this year, there is a very strict selection of whom we will sell pears to. We are holding back the product to satisfy our regular customers in the Athens Wholesale Market and our importers from Albania and Bulgaria as much as possible. Also, while we are sending Santa Maria pears to Jordan, we are not fulfilling requests from Israel this year, although there are technical reasons for this as well," adds the president of the Greek cooperative.
© Platanoulia Agricultural Cooperative, FroutopigiBatches of Santa Maria packed these days by Platanoulia Agricultural Cooperative, Froutopigi
"In general, those who have pears are holding onto them 'with fingernails and teeth' for as long as possible. The few large distributors, counted on one hand, will manage to have some stocks until summer and will certainly continue to enjoy high prices for them. As for the producers, this year they were paid €0,80-0,90 per kilo. This may be a significant increase from the €0,40-0,50 they usually received in other years, but with 15 tons per hectare, you barely cover your costs. We would need 30 tons per hectare to be satisfied with these prices," concludes Mr. Malakos.
For more information:
Kostas Malakos
Platanoulia Agricultural Cooperative, Froutopigi
Tel: +30 2410 831 479
