Walnut harvest in Greece is in full swing, with grower prices currently fluctuating between €3.00 and €3.50 per kilogram, while top-quality growers are earning as much as €4.00 per kilogram. Mr. Yannis Karkanis, president of the Walnut Agricultural Cooperative Gaia Domokou, notes: "We've not yet completed the harvest, but from the crop we've received so far from our members, we're seeing a slightly reduced yield compared to last season. This is something we expected, given the severe summer conditions, including extreme heat and even a lack of irrigation water that some of our members experienced."
Despite these challenges, the quality of Gaia Domokou walnuts remains quite good. "We are pleased to see a normal range of sizes, with many large walnuts. 80% of our current production falls within the 30-32 size range, 10% is larger than 32, and only the remaining portion belongs to the 28 size category," stresses Mr. Karkanis.
A.C. Gaia Domokou was founded two years ago and is eager to expand its export activities and participate in international fairs. "There is high demand in the market for Greek walnuts," highlights the executive of the Greek cooperative. He explains: "We are currently in the middle of negotiations with our buyers, but we're also receiving urgent orders for walnut kernels from supermarket chains. Starting in May, we store our crop in cooling chambers, allowing for year-round deliveries. Our cooperative handles the cracking and packing process in its own facility, and our priority is to deliver walnut kernels."
Gaia Domokou is also seeing increased interest of consumers in smaller package sizes. "For this reason, we are launching our new 180-gram micro-packaging this season, which will debut on the market next month. In addition, we produce walnut butter, which is sold in the domestic market," concludes Mr. Karkanis.
For more information
Yannis Karkanis
Gaia Domokou
Mob: +30 697 33 76 303
Email: [email protected]
https://gaiadomokou.gr/