“Supermarkets are even asking for a single box of strawberries to stock on their shelves”

The harvest of the very first strawberries has already started in Greece, with the product heading directly for export, says Mr. Antonis Arvanitakis, owner of the strawberry exporting company Arvanitakis Fruits: "There is really strong demand coming from European supermarket chains, especially German ones. Greek exporters are negotiating sky-high prices, since the volume harvested is still very low, and supermarkets are even asking for a single box to stock on their shelves."

The currently harvested strawberries in Greece are mostly Fortuna and Arwen, which were planted in trays. However, Greek growers are simultaneously picking some fruits from other varieties under testing, such as Marisma. "About 50 million ready-grown plants must have been planted in trays. This is a big number and serves to precipitate the beginning of the season. I will start harvesting Fortuna and Arwen in late November. If no adverse weather conditions occur, I estimate that by Christmas, these varieties will yield about 5 tons per hectare," the Greek entrepreneur says.

Total acreage increased by 200 hectaresHowever, adverse weather conditions complicated the beginning of the planting period. As Mr. Arvanitakis states: "Although the plants were delivered to us by the Spanish nurseries in perfect condition, the high temperatures and lack of rain caused some issues until October 15. After that date, there were no further problems, and the damaged plants were replaced by new ones from the nurseries."

The total acreage of strawberry cultivation in Manolada and neighboring regions has been increasing for multiple seasons in a row, Mr. Arvanitakis says. "I estimate that the total acreage might reach 2,500 hectares. This is 200 hectares more than last season. Victory remains the most preferred variety. About 100–110 million bare-root Victory strawberries have been planted. The first Greek Victory strawberries will arrive on the market at the beginning of the new year, though in very low volumes initially."

Finally, what concerns Greek strawberry growers is the lack of workforce. "So far, there has been no problem. We concluded the planting season with a sufficient number of workers. Now, however, many workers are heading to other regions for the olive harvest. I'm unsure if they will return in March, April, and May, when the season reaches its peak. Many growers have applied to bring in workers from Central Asia, but they are arriving in very low numbers," Mr. Arvanitakis concludes.

For more informationAntonis ArvanitakisArvanitakis FruitsTel: +30 26230 72194, +30 697 211 5769Email: [email protected]https://arvanitakisfruits.com/