Greek pomegranates confident on home turf

Greek producers of pomegranates have not had the best year. Harvested quantities were not as high as in the past but, despite unfavorable results, exporters seem confident about their products.

According to Dmitirs Loutsigkas of Goustera S.A in Greece, “In general Greek pomegranate producers struggled this year because of bad weather. Pollination of the fruits did not go very well, yet the quality of our conventional pomegranates is same as usual. We have fewer pomegranates in total but luckily this should not affect our international market. We still produce high quality pomegranates that meet our customers’ demands. For the ones of lower quality – we will sell those in the domestic market.” 

 

Given the fact that Turkey and Greece are neighbors and share similar climates, it is no surprise that they are rivals in a lot of fresh produce categories. “In terms of pomegranates, we experience fierce competition from Turkey. They have much lower prices. Quality-wise Greek pomegranates have the upper hand because they meet the EU standards, while only some Turkish pomegranates meet the standards.”

 

Currently Greek pomegranate exporters are confident in Western Europe because of their preferential treatment as part of the European Union. They have been used to producing high quality pomegranates that have consistently been meeting the standards of the EU. But given the fact that competition such as Turkey is breathing down their necks, more will have to be done by Greek exporters to maintain dominance in the region.

 

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