2025 arrived, leaving aside the few remaining volumes of Greek Zutano avocados, which were already suffering from quality problems. "It's time for Hass avocados, whose harvest in Crete will begin soon," says Mr. Yorgos Katsouras, director of the avocado grower and packer Creta Taste, based in Crete. "At the same time, Fuerte avocados still have a strong presence on the market. Cretan Fuertes are being pressured by those coming from Murcia, Morocco, and Cyprus, as the grower price in Greece is 0,20-0,30 euros/kg higher than the price paid for imported avocados unloaded in the Central Markets of Athens and Thessaloniki."
"This is something that has been happening often during the last 2-3 years and has resulted in Greek growers lowering their current demands from 2,50-2,60 to 2,20 euros/kg. However, the beginning of the Hass avocado season rekindles their expectations for a price increase. The current gap in Southern Hemisphere supply, combined with the fewer fruits that Hass yields compared to Fuerte, lays the groundwork for growers to ask for prices of 2.60 or even 2.90 euros. It will be difficult to maintain a smooth export flow with such prices. I believe we should begin with 2.50 euros/kg," Mr. Katsouras says.
The Greek exporter does not expect competition to soften, but each competitor poses different challenges. "Spaniards offer avocados of very fine appearance, Turkish avocados are very cheap and often sold in bulk, and Israeli avocados are packed very diligently in attractive packaging."
As for the rest of the Cretan avocado season, it is marked by elevated volume and high-quality expectations for the late varieties Hass and Reed. As Mr. Katsouras describes: "Apart from some minimal losses caused by heat, there is no fruit fall, and so we expect at least 60-70% more fruit than last season if not double that season's volume. Moreover, from March onwards, there will be some quantities of Pinkerton available. This variety is a new addition to the Cretan avocado portfolio, gaining the interest of many growers, including me."
One more variety that attracts the interest of Cretan growers is Lamb Hass. "I have to admit that, at the beginning, I underestimated the value of this variety, but it is truly great. It yields fruit of a bigger caliber than Hass, and a grower can get paid up to 52 euros for a 20-22 kg box of high-quality Lamb Hass," Mr. Katsouras concludes.
For more information:
Yorgos Katsouras
Creta Taste
Tel: +30 28210 78734
Mob: +30 6944 525249
https://www.cretataste.com/index.php/gr/