Fruit and vegetable imports in Greece have escalated by 12.49% in the first half of 2024, totalling 420,525 tons, a marked increase from 373,845 tons during the same timeframe in 2023, as reported by INCOFRUIT-HELLAS, the Association of Greek Fruit, Vegetable and Juice Exporters.
George Polychronakis, a consultant for the Association, conveyed to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency the continuous growth in the importation of fresh fruits and vegetables, highlighting the intensification of foreign competition in both the domestic and other Community markets. Polychronakis pointed out the rationale behind importing tropical products not native to Greece, given the country's self-sufficiency in producing adequate quantities of certain fruits and vegetables for both domestic consumption and export.
The data reveals a notable increase in imports across various categories: potatoes, primarily from Egypt, France, and Cyprus, saw an 18.39% rise; banana imports, mainly from Ecuador, Colombia, and Costa Rica, increased by 7.75%; whereas onion imports, sourced chiefly from Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany, decreased by 59.41%.
Imports of tomatoes, peppers/sweet peppers, apples, avocados, kiwifruit, oranges, lemons/sweet lemons, and mushrooms also showed varying degrees of change, with countries like Turkey, Jordan, North Macedonia, the Netherlands, Iran, Egypt, Poland, and Romania serving as significant sources.
Polychronakis emphasized the necessity for imports from third countries to adhere to the same stringent EU standards for quality, labour conditions, pesticide use, and the importance of rigorous inspections by Greek control authorities to ensure compliance with commercial quality standards and the absence of pesticide residues.
Source: sofokleous10.gr