According to the director of a well-known fresh product exporting business with headquarters in Greece, more strawberries have been planted in Greece this season, with land allocation increasing by 10% from the previous year. The introduction of more modern strawberry types, like Fortuna, Victory, Rociera, Limnvalnera, and others, has helped the nation maintain its position as the second largest supplier of strawberries to stores in the EU, after Spain.
The Greek strawberry season is still continuing strong, although initially, consumers appeared to be spending less on strawberries this year. Prices were somewhat lower than they were during the previous season as customers cut back on their purchases of more expensive goods in anticipation of rising energy prices and inflation.
Prices have been slightly reduced as a result of the increasing supply of strawberries from Greece and Spain in the market, particularly after the first production cycle peaked in March. The quality of strawberries has generally been good despite some weather-related issues that have impacted it.
The sector has faced tough problems as a result of the increased costs of production and packaging. An average increase of 30–35% from the prior year is the result of labour constraints for harvesting and rising production expenses in the field and packing facilities. Concerns have been raised concerning the industry’s producers and packers’ long-term viability because, unlike with other products, these rising costs have not been reflected in retail prices.
Compared to last year, there is now more freight available for international shipments, but the difficulty of covering these expenditures is made more difficult by the sharp rise in freight rates. Up until Easter, demand for Greek strawberries was strong, but it has since decreased due in part to the colder weather across Europe. However, when the weather warms up and strawberries achieve their optimum flavor in May, demand is anticipated to increase.
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