At the top of the list of Greek exported fruits for yet another year is the Greek kiwifruit, recording a value record of €305.5 million and securing the fourth position in global production. As a result, producers enjoy truly good prices.
This is essentially a continuously evolving chain, as the good performance of exports is what drives the good prices for producers, ultimately leading to the continuous expansion of kiwifruit cultivation in Greece. The increase in plantings and production is impressive; from 36,000 tons in 2001/2002 and 70,000 tons in 2007/08, it reached 313,393 tons in 2021/22, while in 2022/23, it already reached 323,000 tons, and in 2023/24, it exceeded 290,000 tons. Greek kiwifruit is steadily on the rise, setting records in tonnage while maintaining its high-quality characteristics.
This exceptionally high tonnage now produced by the domestic Greek kiwifruit market has attracted the interest of major foreign markets, such as India, Canada, and Brazil, significantly boosting export performance. Moreover, the fact that Greek kiwifruit has a longer shelf life and excellent quality characteristics makes it stand out and gives it an advantage in foreign markets.
At this point, the stance of the Greek producer is of critical importance, as they ultimately determine whether Greek kiwifruit will have a Greek export identity. At TOKAS OLYMP FRUITS, we invest in the standardization and export of Greek kiwifruit, providing Greek producers with the opportunity to collaborate and sell their produce to Greek companies, thus maintaining the Greek identity of kiwifruit. Only through Greek export companies can the upward trajectory of the value of Greek kiwifruit continue, as their excellent quality is showcased in the global market with identification of their origin.
” At TOKAS OLYMP FRUITS, we stand by the producer and are open to listening to each producer individually, truly keeping our promise to be a team with our producers, giving them our utmost priority”
— George Tokas
It is certainly up to the producers to take the production of Greek kiwifruit one step further by strictly choosing Greek companies for collaboration, adding value to their production with consistently high returns both immediately and in the long term. Another major issue that tarnishes the reputation of Greek kiwifruit is the illegal harvesting of kiwifruit and the circulation of unstandardized products without added value, directly from the field and without labeling—factors that contribute to the de-Greekization and significant devaluation of Greek kiwifruit, endangering Greek exports. At this point, the stance of the Greek producer is crucial in preventing further problems from illegal practices.
It is the right time for us all to take this seriously, functioning as a unified chain, so that Greek kiwifruit production finds its rightful place in the global export market, and producers enjoy high returns as well as stability with prospects for expanding their production. At TOKAS OLYMP FRUITS, we stand by the producer and are open to listening to each producer individually, truly keeping our promise to be a team with our producers, giving them our utmost priority.