“Trees carry from 0 to 20 kilos of fruit”

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The Greek stone fruit season has begun with extremely limited availability. Mr. Labros Delas, president of the agricultural cooperative, ASEPOP Tirnavos mentions: “It’s chaos out there. The orchards are in terrible condition due to the March frost and the hailstorm on April 26. While the fruit quality may be good, the available quantities are extremely limited. Indicatively, some trees are completely barren, while others may carry just 5, 10, or at most 20 kilos. This means we’re not even sure if we’ll be able to meet the needs of our existing customers.”

Despite the low availability, both demand and prices remain unsatisfactory for Greek growers. “First of all, our first nectarines will be available within the first five days of June. On the other hand, as for the peaches and apricots which are already on the market, demand is currently low, and prices are not high enough to compensate for the losses caused by weather damage. This is partly due to the weather, which hasn’t warmed up yet. However, in the case of peaches, low demand is also linked to the fact that the domestic market has been flooded with large volumes of Spanish fruits. These are being distributed both through the wholesale markets and supermarkets,” Mr. Delas says.

The Greek cooperative has announced that this year it will also handle products from non-member growers. According to its president: “This is the second year that ASEPOP Tirnavos will be accepting peaches and nectarines — as well as apricots and pears — from non-members. This decision aims to support local growers and strengthen cooperation with the wider farming community in the Tirnavos area. That’s what the cooperative spirit is all about.”

He also adds: “With this approach, we’re also able to control a larger volume of produce, which helps keep prices high for the producers in the face of pressure from individual traders. So, at any time, anyone can come to our cooperative, and we can work together on these products through September. Of course, we continue to push for advance payments on compensation. In a year with such severe damage, that is an essential measure to ensure that the agricultural sector can at least maintain a minimum level of financial activity over the summer.”

For more information:
Labros Delas
ASEPOP Tirnavos
Tel: +30 24920 22770
Email: [email protected]
http://asepoptirnavos.gr/

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Source: The Plantations International Agroforestry Group of Companies