The fig harvest in Greece is progressing at a considerably slow pace during the second week of October. The extreme heat of the last summer caused great damage on the orchards' yield all over the country. Mr. Antreas Litras, owner of the fig production and packing company Litras Fresh from Markopoulo in Attica region stresses: "I've been growing figs for almost 40 years and this is the first time in all these decades that I've experienced such a low crop. The climate change has devastating results. Fig production in Markopoulo has decreased by 60-70% compared to the normal levels and it's impossible to meet the demand expressed by our clients."
Litras Fresh offers Black figs and Vassilika, which are the varieties grown in Markopoulo and have PGI status. The Mission variety is also grown in Markopoulo but in very limited acreage. For this reason, Litras Fresh has developed partnerships with Mission fig growers from Northern Greece. Thanks to these partnerships, it was possible to ensure a larger volume. "This is the only way to keep up with the market demand. We have put a lot of effort into developing partnerships with growers from all over Greece. Otherwise, we would not have been able to deliver the volume that we delivered. We will continue in searching and developing new collaborations," highlights Mr. Litras.
The fig harvest will be concluded at the end of October. Litras Fresh ships one ton every two days. As for quality aspects, Mr. Litras describes that "during October the figs are not that big as in August and September. Mature figs in August can weight 60 grams, while in October their average weight is 40 grams. These days we pack figs of about 45-50 grams. These figs are being sent to Canada and Saudi Arabia. As they are sent only by plane, the war in the Middle East has not affected the commercial flow and we are seeing stable demand." However, Mr. Litras observes more favorable prices and greater demand in the domestic market this season and this is due to the great crop reduction.
For more information
Antreas Litras
Litras Fresh
Tel: +30 210 94 00 250, +30 229 90 22 322
[email protected]
https://litrasfresh.com/el/home-3/