Greece’s strawberry exports reach record numbers this season

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 04. 08. 10:27

This season, Greek strawberry growers were worried about the poor quality of seedlings, but since then the country’s strawberry exports have reached record numbers. In the case of the plantings, which traditionally start at the end of October, serious problems were caused by the fact that in some regions up to 50% of the seedlings had to be replanted. Nevertheless, the situation was resolved smoothly, and the season could start in the normal course.

The postponement of the Spanish season also brought a favorable turn for Greek exporters, so by the end of March, exports had surpassed last year’s record and reached historic highs. One of the reasons for this is that due to the drought experienced in Spain in recent years, several large buyers, including Germany, have increased their purchases of Greek goods due to more reliable quality and delivery.

In recent years, the area of strawberry plantations in Greece has expanded dynamically, from 1,500 to 2,300 hectares. The volume of the annual harvest jumped from 75,000 to 100,000 tons, of which about three quarters, 75,000 tons, are exported. Greek strawberries arrive in Hungary in large quantities at the end of March and April, but the Greek season ends in May due to the heat there.