While the tomato harvest on the island of Crete, Greece, should have already been at its peak since the beginning of November, there's still scarcity. This is due to the late plantings across almost the entire island, because of the very hot summer and the lack of water. Currently, the Greek market is almost empty of local tomatoes and relies heavily on imports to meet its needs, sourcing most of its supplies from Türkiye. This also means that there are almost no exports at this time.
"There are only two pallets per day leaving our warehouse for abroad. No packer has more product to export at the moment," says Mr. Nikos Kontakis, shareholder of the Cretan tomato packing company Vardakis – Kontakis. As he mentions: "For the moment, tomatoes come mostly from the area of Chania, which is the earliest tomato-growing area in Crete. There are other significant areas, such as Ierapetra, that will enter the market later."
Mr. Kontakis focuses on the export of pink tomatoes, marketed under the brand Kalipso. He says that his clients were well aware of the production delay and despite sourcing tomatoes of other origins, they long for the Cretan tomatoes: "It's a fact that we lost many days of sales, but we did not lose our clients. They are waiting for more Cretan tomatoes to come. Tomato exports will multiply as of December 15th. There will be six tomato trucks departing daily from our warehouse. This is the peak of our productivity and we expect to manage about 2,000 tons of pink tomatoes until the end of the season."
Prices are corresponding to the low supply. "Currently, grower price stands at 1.10-1.20 euros/kg. The prices match with the level of the offer, but also with the level of the demand. I believe that from December 15th, when supplies will increase, prices will fall to 0.80-0.90 euros/kg," the Cretan exporter says.
Despite the fact that tomato cultivation faces strong challenges in Crete, either due to the drought or the ToBRFV, pink tomato plantations remain intact. "Pink tomatoes have gained ground in Chania and Kountoura in recent last years and as far as I am concerned this season's volume will be volume similar to that of the last season", Mr. Kontakis concludes.
For more information:
Nikos Kontakis
Vardakis – Kontakis
Tel: +30 282 304 1668
Mob: +30 697 700 5834