FROUTONEA_UK_NOVEMBER20

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Athens - Greece
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Ownership
G. Orfanou & Co
Editor-Manager
Panagiotis Orfanos
Editor staff
Anna Makrigiorgou
Fotis Karampetsos
DTP
Yiorgos Vergouliades
Cover design
Aris Betchavas
Subscriptions
Christina Andreakou


ADVERTISED COMPANIES




COMPANY PAGE


KIKU 2ND COVER
TEX 1
MSC 3 In this issue
KAVALA COOP 5
SOURSOS 7
MENELAOS 11 Strawberries: Nothing stops them
CRETA TASTE 13
AGROLAB 15 Pomegranates: The harvest enters
CHATZIDAKIS 17 in the main phase
DOLE 21
HELLAGRO BACKCOVER Potatoes: Demand in low level



4 PRODUCTS








ÒKiwis




ARE THERE ANY SURPRISES THIS SEASON?





The harvest of Hayward kiwis has already begun in Greece and it looks like producer prices will be
higher than last year.


We are going through week 42of the
year and the harvest of Hayward variety
has just officially started in our country.
Things show that the production volume
will note a slight increase this year. This in-
crease comes from the new trees that en-
ter the production, as in the old plantation
the production stands at the same levels
as last year or in some cases it is lower.
Regarding the quality of the fruit now,
the first impression is that it is lower than
last year and it will be close to 300,000
tons. Producer prices began at higher lev-
els compared to last year in the first week
of the harvest. Specifically, in the trade
agreements that have been made, the ki-
wis were «closed» to 60-70 cents per ki-
lo, depending on the quality of fruit, while
last year the first agreements stood at 50-
60 cents. In other words, we see that this
year is about 10 cents higher than last year.
Note here that there were agreements
made at higher levels, such as 80 cents,
but also at lower levels, such as 50 cents.
However, the largest volume of production
has been agreed and revolves around the
65 cents per kilo
Of course the deals are still in prog-
ress, as is the harvest, and producer pric-
es may vary in the coming weeks. This will
depend on the volume of production and if
there are still unharvested quantities, then
the prices may be lower in the last week of
the harvest, and vice versa if they have not
completed the quantities they want, and
there are still unused kiwis then they will
go up even more. Something similar hap-
pened last year.

The harvest and the problems
The harvest of Tsechelidis variety is over,




NOVEMBER 2020

were seized by the Greek authorities, and This intention of the Italians not to buy
political intervention was needed to re- Greek kiwis for more than 60 cents/per ki-
lease these consignments. lo was pointed out to us in the interview
However, the Hayward variety also given to us by Mr. Christos Xylogiannis and
seems to have low brix levels in the 42nd which we published in the October issue.
The harvest of Tsechelidis week that we are going through and the The question that remains to be answered
variety is over, and few harvest will be late, at least by 1 week. Be- is what attitude they will have in the near
cause of this delay, the absorption goes future. It is known that the trade policy of
quantities are still left further and somewhere here the concerns the Italians affects not only the formation
begin to appear. Will this condition affect of prices, but also the absorption of kiwi
unavailable from his variety. absorption? production.
Now, close to this we must add that in
many European countries there are local The conclusion
or general lockdowns, which create many All these problems that we mentioned
problems in the trade of the product during above, namely the production delay, the re-
the harvest stage. In fact, this is the main luctance of the producers to make agree-
fear of all traders and producers. ments at the level of 60-70 minutes, the
ambiguous attitude of the Italians, the var-
The Italians will judge the year ious lockdowns that have been imposed in
and few quantities are still left unavailable At this point we must talk about the different European countries and the medi-
from his variety. Note here that it was a dif- commercial behavior of the Italians, who um quality of the fruits presented by most
ficult season for this variety, as a large vol- show that they do not intend to buy kiwis estates create a climate of intense concern
ume was harvested at very low brix levels. at the price of 60 cents and only in high for traders, who do not know whether this
Due to this situation, many consignments quality kiwis may reach the 65 cents season will be a good or a bad one.
















































NOVEMBER 2020

6 PRODUCTS








ÒStrawberries




NOTHING STOPS THEM…




The first strawberries from the new production season have already made their appearance in the
markets and the strawberry sector expects this year to develop smoothly and not to repeat last year’s
dramatic moments caused by the quarantine.


The agony
At the moment, the producers in the plain
of Ilia are not discussing how the plantings
are evolving, but what will be the effects on
the commercial course of the product, in a
possible “hard” Lockdown that will be im-
plemented by various European countries.
The memories are still fresh from what hap-
pened last spring, when due to the quaran-
tine tons of strawberries were thrown in the
landfill. But in addition to the smooth run-
ning of the markets, producers are also wor-
ried about what might happen if covid-19
outbreaks occur in their area and especial-
ly among farm workers. In such an unfortu-
nate case, the smooth flow of harvest and
We are in the penultimate week of Oc- absorption will be shaken, with unpleas-
tober and in a few days the planting of ant consequences for the whole sector. Of
strawberry plants for the new season is course, this does not only affect the Greek
completed. According to the observations strawberry sector, but also the Spanish.
of people from the area of Ilia, the culti-
vated area will stand at last year’s lev- As in previous years, The commercial course
els and until now everything is develop- this year the victory variety The plantings may have been without
ing smoothly at the planting stage, as the problems, and particular difficulties, but
weather is normal, and no diseases have will occupy again the largest apparently the difficulties for the straw-
not been observed in the plants. berry are ahead, as winter comes and no
In terms of varieties, as in previous surface, while people who one knows what the impact will be on the
years, this year the victory variety will oc- know the area well estimate plants, from a heavy winter as rumored to
cupy again the largest surface, while peo- have this year. But the weather is strug-
ple who know the area well estimate that that it will be close to 70% gling, as it will not be the first time we will
it will be close to 70% of the total. The ca- have a heavy winter. What is not able to be
marosa variety, which 5 years ago domi- of the total confronted is the pandemic and the effects
nated the plain of Ilia, is now chosen by a it can have on the normal flow of the sales.
few growers, who want to meet in this way Let’s hope that everything will develop
the commercial desires of some of their smoothly and so this dynamic product will
customers. The “basket of varieties” taps find the way to success for another year, as
with the early variety Fortuna, which will it has “learned” to do it all these years since
give us its first fruits in the first ten days of it “opened” its wings in international mar-
November. Of course, in some estates, the kets. But we will be able to tell you more
harvest has already started, but it is mini- about the developments of the strawberry
mal at the moment. in our next issue.
T.O.


NOVEMBER 2020



8 INTERVIEW









“ARGOLIDA STARTS THE SEASON


WITH SMALL SIZES OF ORANGES”



Despite the enhanced cultivation care applied this year by the
producers on the orange estates, the first Argolic navalins of the
season are characterized by small sizes. However, the interest from
the markets is intense, comments in an interview in Froutonea Mr.
Petros Soursos, owner of Soursos S.A.



PETROS SOURSOS

OWNER OF SOURSOS S.A.


Mr. Soursos, what news is coming
from the Argolida plain this year about
oranges? What data do we have?
This year, there is a delay in production,
as the navalina harvest will begin after Oc-
tober 25. Also, due to the lack of rain and
the heat of August, the sizes of the oranges
of the first period will be small. However, in
terms of quantity we expect it to rise to last
year’s levels, or we may have even a small
increase. Next, we move on to Merlin, but it
is still too early to say anything about this
year’s fruit growth of this variety.

What are the estimates for tangerines?
For the main variety, clementine, it ers to take care of their crops carefully, to
seems that this year Argolida will bring make the necessary pruning, etc. Unfortu-
good quality and large fruits. nately, however, the heat and drought of
August did damages that halted the out-
What kind of varieties do the produc- comes of the producers’ strong efforts,
ers of Argolida focus on? as it restrained the growth of fruit size, at For the main variety
Merlin, Navalins and Clementines con- least of those that they will harvested at of mandarins, clementine,
tinue to be preferred by the local produc- the first days.
ers. However, planting of later oranges such it seems that this year
as lane late has also taken place. However, How is your company preparing to en- Argolida will bring good
their presence is still small and their pro- ter the track of the new season?
duction is directed to the internal market. We are ready to meet the needs of our quality and large fruits
customers and go further. There are pros-
Passing through the citrus fields of Ar- pects to open up to new markets and go
golida this year, one will see a very dif- for the best. Besides, we rely on the dy-
ferent picture compared to other years… namics of our two factories, with a produc-
Yes that’s how it is. The excellent mar- tivity of 500 tons per day, which we have
keting trend for oranges last spring left equipped properly to serve the orders in
money and willingness for the produc- nets and small packages.



NOVEMBER 2020

“ETOLOAKARNANIA WILL GIVE


AGAIN A LARGER VOLUME


OF CITRUS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR”



The spread of oranges and tangerines continues in Etoloakarna-
nia, with the production increasing every year. The details of this
season are analyzed in Froutonea by Mr. Spyros Tampakis,
agronomist and owner of the company of the same name.


SPYROS TAMPAKIS main vulnerable CTV and Deuterophoma

AGRONOMIST & OWNER tracheiphila.
OF TABAKIS COMPANY
After the last, spectacular marketing
Increased production in all season and the positive prospects that
are also expressed for the new mar-
Mr. Tabakis, when does the orange varieties and without quality keting season, do you see an intensi-
harvest start in Etoloakarnania and fication of the interest for dealing with
what volume of production can we ex- problems will give this year citrus fruits in your area?
pect in total? the oranges and mandarins Sure! The excellent commercial season
This year it seems that there will be a de- led to an even greater than usual increase
lay and so we expect to start the harvest of Etoloakarnania in citrus plantations in Etoloakarnania. My
in mid-November, of course with navalins. It personal assessment is that we now sur-
also seems that the fruits that will be har- pass even Argolida in number of trees. Al-
vested in November will have to go through so, because this year the producers put
a de-greening treatment. Then, with the ar- money in their pockets, took full care of
rival of December, the production will start It seems that this year, clementines and their fields and applied all the necessary
to increase more and more, while reaching early mandarins will be 20% more than last care to the crops, which can be seen with
the end of January the harvest of lane late year. For the nova an increase of 5-10% is a simple walk in the orange and tangerine
will begin, which, lasting until mid-March. also estimated, while on the contrary, the fields.
Navelina and Lane Late are the most culti- production of ortanique will be lower this
vated variety in Etoloakarnia. Regarding the year as well. What goals does your company set for
volume of production, it will be increased the new season? Which assets does it
this year as well, as new plots planted ev- Were there any problems during the rely on to meet the needs of its cus-
ery year. Thus, for navalins we estimate an growing season that might affect the tomers?
increase in production by 10% and for lane quality of the fruit? Our company distributes exclusively its
late an increase by 30%. No, we had no problems. There are of own production, in order to have the ab-
course fruits that have been hit by the solute quality control over it, which I per-
Respectively, how are things for the pro- branches, due to the passage of strong sonally supervise as an agronomist. Our
duction of mandarins? How many tonnes winds, but these are completely superfi- consistency has been rewarded with the
will Etoloakarnania give us this year? cial hacks that, if they end up being reject- acquisition of GLOBAL GAP certification
The mandarins of Etoloakarnania ed, this will be for visual reasons, as these and the special certification of Metro su-
start at the end of October with the ear- hacks will not be the cause of fungal in- permarket chain. Also, regarding the man-
ly clementines and close after them come fections. darins, we make sure that every year we
the caffin and oronoules varieties. After Apart from these, let me note, howev- cover the needs of our customers with the
Christmas, begins the marketing of nova er, that many trees in our area, although possibility of continuous and uninterrupted
mandarins. reduced as a percentage of the total, re- supplies from November to March.



NOVEMBER 2020

10 INTERVIEW








“NAVALINES AND MERLINS


OF ARTA AT 40,000 TONNES”



With the start of the harvest taking place in the first days of No-
vember at the latest, the citrus growers of Arta have implemented
all the necessary cares that will ensure a good quality production.
The estimates for the new season for Froutonea are made by Mr.
Nikolaos Gizas, President of the Union of Agricultural Coopera-
tives of Arta-Filippiada.



NIKOLAOS GIZAS


PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION
OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES
OF ARTA-FILIPPIADA


Mr. Gizas, how does the season for
Arta citrus begin?
The citrus harvest in Arta starts at the
end of October, or at the beginning of No-
vember the latest with the early clemen-
tines. Regarding the volume of the harvest,
we estimate that this year in mandarins as well. I am talking about the great shock
we will have a total production of 30,000- that the citrus crops suffered with the short
35,000 tons. but strong heat of last May, which was fol-
lowed by a sharp, big drop in temperature.
Are there any estimates for the orang- These weather tricks affected the efficien-
es? The citrus harvest in Arta cy of our production by 20-30%.
The orange harvest begins at about the
same time as the mandarins, but initially starts at the end of October, Is there any citrus that stands out in
proceeds at a slower pace, only to inten- or at the beginning the preferences of the producers?
sify later. Specifically, the first oranges we Also, after last year’s spectacular cit-
harvest are the navalins and then the mer- of November the latest rus commercial season, do you see
lin. In total for these two varieties we ex- anything different in the fields?
pect a production of about 40,000 tons. with the early clementines. In Arta there is a preference for the cul-
Some estimates speak for a little more In terms of volume, tivation of clementine. However, I would
volume, but I think they will not be con- say that there is a balance between citrus
firmed. Finally, there are the sour oranges, it is estimated that this year fruits, but also between citrus fruits and
some of which go for juicing and others for other crops, such as kiwis.
fresh consumption, which we estimate at in mandarins there will be What we are seeing this year is a shift
10,000-15,000 tons this year.
a total production of 30,000- in the quality care of the fields, which has
been helped by the commercial stimulation
During the growing season, did any 35,000 tons of the orange over the past months. Pro-
issues arise that might have affected ducers pay more attention to citrus crops
production? and diligently apply all those cares that
Yes, we faced some obstacles this year ensure a good production.



NOVEMBER 2020



12 INTERVIEW









“LESS BUT LARGER


THE ORANGES OF CHANIA”



Ready to harvest their first oranges for this year are the producers
of Chania, who, however, do not seem to be “moved” as much as
their colleagues in the rest of Greece by the last very good, com-
mercial season.









GIORGOS KATSOURAS

OWNER OF CRETA TASTE




Mr. Katsouras, when does the season
for oranges in the prefecture of Chania
begin?
The first cuts are scheduled for the end
of October, at the latest for the first week
of November and will concern the navalina
and new hall varieties. The production vol-
ume we expect for both varieties is 20-25%
lower than last year due to the very high
temperatures that prevailed during the ini-
tial phase of fruiting. Many oranges fell to
the ground because of this, but on the oth-
er hand the fruits remained, were benefit- of oranges in the market and for this, after ports, this is encouraging. We export to the
ed, as the increased their size. all, they have made a shift to the cultiva- Netherlands, England and Austria and we
tion of avocados, which gives unbeatably have already made our first contacts. How-
Can you comment on the mandarins? better prices. Last season was not enough ever, estimates will only be confirmed or
Of course, Chania does not have a spe- to change that choice. overturned by the beginning of the trans-
cial production in this product… There is, however, the issue of the small actions and the start of marketing.
So is. This year, the mandarins from Cha- lot. I want to say that if someone has a
nia, of the nova variety, will amount to small lot of oranges that he does not rely Since you mentioned avocados, make
around 500 tons and, as always, will be di- on, he will not give to it much importance us a comment about the current phase
rected to the internal market, to vegetable and care and will wait to get what the es- of the market.
markets, local markets, etc. tate pays. Thus, in Crete there are still ma- Good avocados are priced at 2.50-2.70
ny, small citrus estates, which are obvious- euros per kilo. However, avocados are sold
Did last year’s good commercial trend ly abandoned, or quite neglected. very extensively without documents, or
of oranges have any effect on the pro- with false documents. This has negative
ducers’ involvement with this product What are the messages coming from consequences for the companies that op-
this year? the market this year? erate according to the regulations and we
The producers of Crete have been disap- There are positive signs and for those call on the state to finally deal with this
pointed for several years by the low prices of us who are firmly oriented towards ex- unfair practice.



NOVEMBER 2020

Creta taste





PACKAGING AND DISTRIBUTION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS


Genuie Cretan
Products

Residue free products
Citrus glossed only with
natural bee wax









































ΣΧΕ∆ΙΑΣΜΟΣ ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ ΒΕΡΓΟΥΛΙΑ∆ΗΣ























Creta Taste S. A.
Agia, Chania, Crete | T. +30 28210 78 734 | F. +30 28210 78 637
[email protected] | www.cretataste.com

14 PRODUCTS








ÒPomegranates




HARVEST IN PROGRESS IN THE MAIN VARIETIES





The pomegranate harvest is in full swing in Αfrati and wonderful varieties and as everything
shows, the production volume will be slightly higher this year than last year.


needs for pomegranates with the acco va-
riety, which seems to be completing its
commercial course in the coming weeks.
What we have noticed from the commer-
cial course of this early variety so far, is
that the domestic market does not have
the potential to absorb significant quanti-
ties, and so the solution of absorption was
given by the international markets. Note
here, that because of the fact that this va-
riety is very susceptible to altenaria, but
also to carbonation, it needs increased in-
terventions with plant protection prod-
ucts, and many growers either do not know
it or do not apply them. A main character-
istic of this situation is that this year ma-
ny estates, especially in the area of La-
mia, the fruits were not only unsuitable for
trade, but even for the juice industry.

The commercial course
We are going through the 42nd week of Judging by the commercial course of
the year, and slowly the harvest begins in pomegranates so far, in the domestic mar-
Afrati and wonderful varieties, but the high ket, things show that this year will not be
temperatures for the season do not allow good for the Wonderful variety, and this
the fruits to get the desired color, and as In the domestic market, things is because in the Greek market, the Afra-
everything shows the completion of the ti variety has the advantage this year. It is
harvest will go a few days back compared show that this year will not known that consumers in Southern Greece
to previous years. Of course this weather show a clear preference for this sweet and
is also good, as we do not have frequent be good for the Wonderful special variety, while consumers in North-
and intense rains, which degrade the qual- variety, and this is because ern Greece are now getting more familiar
ity, and if the same weather prevails in the with it. On the contrary, the wonderful va-
next period and the producers do not rush in the Greek market, riety seems to have a very good course in
to harvest the fruits, then the year will be the international markets, although it will
characterized by high quality production. the Afrati variety meet a strong competition from the pome-
This is one side of the coin, as there are granates of Turkey, Italy and Egypt. It
many producers who have not applied all has the advantage this year should be noted here that our pomegran-
the necessary cultivation care and as a re- ates usually lag behind in quality com-
sult the fruits are unsuitable in their fields. pared to other countries, and this is due to
the wrong choice of varieties but also to
The Acco variety the lack of knowledge of cultivation on the
Currently, the market is meeting its part of our producers.



NOVEMBER 2020

Concluding
Based on the data of the report, we see that this year the pro-
duction of pomegranates will be quite good in terms of quali-
ty, and perhaps the volume of production will be somewhat in-
creased compared to last year for both the Afrati variety and
wonderful. Regarding the absorption now, this year is special, and
no one can make safe estimates. However, we do not see a signif-
icant change in demand compared to previous years, and more or
less we expect to have a repeat of last year. The only point that
we see changing is that the Italian production will have a great-
er pressure this year on the markets of Europe, which will mainly
suffer the Greek production of the wonderful variety.
PDO for the pomegranates of Ermioni
The juice gives a way out The European Commission approved the application for
to the low quality fruits registration for «Pomegranate Ermioni» from Greece
in the register of protected designations of origin
In recent years, the juice industry has added (PDO). «Pomegranate of Ermioni» is a pomegranate
pomegranate to its product list, and this is good news for this that is cultivated in the municipality of Ermionida, in the
crop, as a significant amount of low quality pomegranate is region of Peloponnese. The fruit is characterized by a
finding a way out. According to estimates from circles in the sweet taste and elastic skin ranging from light yellow
field of juice industry, the volume that leads to the juicing is to red. The environmental conditions of Ermionida and
about 10,000 tons, while the total volume of pomegranate the local know-how that result from a long-standing
production nationwide reaches 20,000 tons. The prices that culture have given «Pomegranate Ermioni» its special
the pomegranate industries buy are set at 15-20 cents with characteristics that have distinguished it from other
a predominant price of 17 cents, and this market has been pomegranates.
open since the first of October.

















































NOVEMBER 2020

16 PRODUCTS









ÒApples TIME FOR SALES…




The apple harvest was completed under normal weather condi-
tions - and as it turned out, the production volume was higher than
initially estimated, with the quality of the fruits in most areas being
very good.


The Markets
As for the apple trade, the exports to
Egypt are going on - but at a slow pace, as
Egyptian merchants try to keep the depar-
ture prices of the product low.
As for the domestic market, it has not
yet shown a significant momentum - and
this is attributed to the high temperatures
of October, but also to the reduced income
of Greek Consumers.
However, as we get closer to the heart
of winter, we estimate that demand will
improve - and what remains to be seen
is whether covid will make consumers in-
crease their consumption of fruit, as it did
last spring, when it first appeared.
However, the increased volume of pro-
duction that occurred in our country, but
also in other European countries, makes
merchants worry for the outcome of the
We are in the middle of October and the year. In our view, it is too early to make any
harvest of red apple varieties is complete. estimates of the apples’ commercial tra-
The varieties that are still to be harvest- jectory this year - and only by the end of
ed are the green apples and the fuji variety. January will we be able to make safe es-
For the red varieties - and according to timates.
the Merchants, it turned out that the vol- For the red varieties - and
ume of production increased at even great- The next day
er levels than the initial estimates that had according to the Merchants, There is currently a state of euphoria in
been made. People that are well acquaint- it turned out that the the production sites from the beginning of
ed with this product, report that the in- the year, with this good mood reflected in
crease in production volume in the red va- production volume showed the intention of the Producers to create
rieties may be more than 20% compared new estates with apples. Thus, at the mo-
to last year. Regarding the quality of the an increase - and even greater ment the orders for new trees in the Nurs-
fruits, in the last few days the color of the than expected ery Units are quite high, almost double
fruits has improved considerably in the re- compared to previous years.
gions of Macedonia and less in the area of The varieties chosen by the Producers
Agia. for planting are the red varieties and the
Regarding the Producer prices, they were the low quality at 30-35 minutes. In oth- fuji variety, while there are also some Pro-
formed at the levels we had mentioned in er words, the quality categories of apples ducers who chose for the planting the vari-
our previous issue, i.e. for the upper quali- are distinct for another year, in terms of eties Jonagold and golden delicious
ty category the prices were formed at 50- Producer price - and this development be-
55 minutes, for the middle at 40-45 and for stows pleasure to the good Producers. T.O.


NOVEMBER 2020

Chatzidakis S.A.






COOLING FACILITIES | PACKING HOUSE

IMPORTS - EXPORTS
TIME FOR SALES…





















Feel the taste!














































15th km. Larisa - Tirnavos,
401 00 Larisa Greece
Τel.: 2490 25301-2 | Fax: 24920 25303

Central Fruit & Vegetable Market of Athens Κ 28, 30
182 33 Ag. Ioannis Rentis, Attiki Greece
Τel.: 210 4838195 | Fax: 210 4838196
E-mail: [email protected]

18 PRODUCTS








SNACK APPLES, THE NEW RIVOIRA,


VI.P AND VOG PROJECT GETS UNDERWAY



Snacking Project is launched, a new consortium designed to develop the market of small apples
ideal for consuming as snacks. First tasting tests in October with the first volumes.



all times of day and whatever they are do-
ing, whether they are at home or out”.
“We are very proud of this partnership
with three leading Italian producers in the
apple-growing sector”, comments Bru-
no Essner, Chairman of IFO. “We are con-
vinced that it is a project with solid founda-
tions; we have managed to obtain naturally
small and particularly tasty apples thanks
to years of research involving our best pro-
fessionals. The exclusive license granted
to Snacking Project is concrete proof of our
belief in these three companies and their
work teams”.“We are very happy with this
first step and now we have to look to the
future with energy and optimism because
this is a long-term project”, comments
Georg Kössler, Chairman of VOG.
Marco Rivoira, CEO of the eponymous
Piemont company, agrees: “The project is
now in full swing and the most delicate
30 September 2020 | A new project to duced snacks. phase is about to begin with the first major
drive the commercial development of the After the initial agreement, Rivoira, VI.P market tests in October, thanks to the first
promising “snack apple” segment. This is and VOG secured the exclusive joint li- few thousand kilos harvested this year in
the goal of Snacking Project, the new con- cense for the varieties regarded as most Piemont and South Tyrol - Südtirol. We
sortium founded by three leading Italian interesting for commercial development; are ready and are making swift progress
companies in the apple-growing sector: following in-depth tests on a dozen or so thanks to a precise business plan”.
Rivoira G. & F.lli of Verzuolo (CN), VI.P of selections identified by the breeding proj- The first variety chosen for the “snack-
Laces (BZ) and VOG of Terlano (BZ). ect, a first variety was chosen for commer- ing” project is a yellow skinned apple
The partnership between these three cial production. The natural consequence (see photo) harvested at the end of Au-
important businesses dates back to 2017 was the creation of a separate company gust. Sweet and crunchy, it is perfect for
and their common collaboration with to support and ensure the continuity of the consumption in the autumn and winter
French company IFO, specialists in the re- project. months. The first limited volumes harvest-
search and development of new apple va- ed will undergo tasting tests in selected
rieties, which enabled them to access an Proud and looking to the future point of sales; for now, an in-line flowpack
exclusive breeding project for the selection “Working together so we can look to the has been chosen for the packaging. Over
of naturally small apples. The natural size future and innovate is essential and this is the next few years the project will be fur-
and shape of these fruits make them ide- borne out by the birth of this new entity”, ther developed and enriched with the se-
al for consumption as snacks, for munch- remarks Thomas Oberhofer, Chairman of lection of other red and bi-coloured vari-
ing on between meals, when travelling VI.P and now Chairman of Snacking Proj- eties, late-season and suitable for longer
and during short breaks, but also perfect ect. “We want to guarantee our consum- storage periods. In fact, the aim is to guar-
for eating at school as tasty and healthy ers the possibility of enjoying high-quali- antee customers a wide and complete
alternatives to calorie-packed mass-pro- ty yet innovative apples that are perfect at range of snack apples 12 months a year.



NOVEMBER 2020

THE INTEREST FOR POLISH APPLES


IS BIGGER AND THE EXPORTS


STARTED EARLIER THAN 2019



The Office Manager of the polish company Fruit Group, Mrs.
Emilia Lewandowska, talks at Froutonea for the new apple mar-
keting season and the high prospects that lay in front of the polish
merchants.






EMILIA LEWANDOWSKA


OFFICE MANAGER
AT FRUIT FROUP



Mrs. Lewandowska, the adverse
spring weather caused again quite
enough damages at the Polish apple
orchards. Now, that we are at the har-
vest time, what consequences are be-
ing observed in the quantity and in the
quality of the fruits?
Yes we had frost time in the spring 2020.
It was flowering time April-May. Even we
had frost it was not as strong as in 2019. Of strongly changing and going down, but terested in Polish apples right now. At this
course we will not have normal crop quan- right now the situation is stabilized and the moment we prepared apples in bushel 18
tities, but we will have around 17% com- prices are on stable level. kg for long distances. Gala is very crunchy
paring with 2019 season. and in good condition.
There appear frost damages on the skin How would you assess the balance be-
especially on Champion variety. Gala, Gold- tween the sales in the domestic mar- Finally, could you please tell us some
en and Prince variety are in quite good con- ket and the exports? Does the pan- things about the incorporation of the
dition. Regionally we had hail. The most demic affect the pace of the sales? club varieties in the Polish apple or-
surprising was hail at the 4th of October. In April it was. We had doubled some- chards? Is there any interest, or have
It’s unusual for Poland. times even troubled orders for our local already being planted any of these va-
market. It was hard to manage them as rieties?
We read that there were some unusual we were not prepared for this kind of un- In our group of producers there appear
fluctuations in the export prices of the usual situation. This autumn is more sta- this kind of thoughts. At this moment we
polish apples during the last days. Do ble as society learn how to live with COVID. do not have any decisions.
you confirm that? At which levels do In last season in the same time (Sept-Oct),
the x-factory prices stand at the begin- the interest from importers was lower, as
ning of October? most of countries had higher production. Fruit Group - Info
Poland finished apples season 2019/2020 Poland was one of the few countries which
with high prices. The highest in the history was affected by frost. In this season, the Τel: 48 320 20 28
Email: [email protected]
of our experience, since we work with ap- whole Europe is affected and the produc- Website: www.fruitgroup.pl
ples from 1996. Then we started the new tion will be lower everywhere. That is why LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.
season with similar high level. From the the interest is bigger and the exports start- com/company/68842457/admin/
beginning of September, the prices were ed earlier than in 2019. More clients are in-



NOVEMBER 2020

20 INTERVIEW


ing country every year to harvest potatoes
in Nevrokopi are minimal this year. Thus,
the harvest is progressing very slowly and
it is estimated that it will be completed in
late October or early November, while last
year the last quantities of potatoes in our
area were harvested on October 25.

What is the image of this year’s potato
crop in Nevrokopi and what levels do
producer prices reach?
Our production this year is increased by
10%, compared to last year and it is ex-
pected to reach 80-90,000 tons. The total
cultivated acres reach 21,000 and produc-
er prices fluctuate at low levels, due to the
low absorption of the product by the mar-
kets. To be precise, the prices of the prod-
uct are set at 0.16 - 0.26 euros / kg, de-
pending on the variety.

What scares you the most in the near
future?
Look, if the absorption of the product
continues to move at the current low lev-
els, then quantities of potatoes will accu-
THANASIS LIAKOPOULOS mulate and will not be able to be stored,
due to limited storage and preservation of
DIRECTOR OF ALKA COMPANY potato stocks, resulting in some quantities
being thrown away. The problem will be-
come bigger when the areas of Pelopon-
“IF THE DEMAND FOR POTATO IS NOT HIGHER nese enter production in the first fortnight
of November. If the demand in the domes-
tic market is not stimulated at least, then
WE WILL HAVE DIFFICULTIES IN STORAGE” this year will be disappointing for produc-
ers and traders and of course it will affect
the upcoming season in our region in terms
The absorption of potatoes in the domestic market still stands at of total cultivated acres.
low levels this season, with the professionals of the sectors express- Will the picture presented so far by the
ing their fears of accumulation of quantities and insufficient stor- domestic market possibly affect this
age space. Mr. Thanasis Liakopoulos, Director of Alka company in year’s imported quantities?
My information is that mass imports of
Nevrokopi describes the above situation in the domestic industry, potatoes from France and Germany will
while giving us information about the European potato production begin in late October. The continuation will
centers. show whether they will be the same as
last year in volume.
Mr. Liakopoulos, the autumn pota- it prevails in all the people of the industry, Does European potato production face
to season did not start this year with worried about the outcome of the season. the same difficulties as ours?
the best omens. Have things changed Consider that during the same period last Yes, I would say that the picture pre-
lately? year, about 20-25,000 tons of Nevroko- sented by the European potato industry
Unfortunately, the potato, being one pi potatoes were absorbed by the market, this year has many similarities with ours.
of the victims of the pandemic, still re- while the number corresponding to this pe- Very low producer prices of 0.13 euros /
mains»unjust» compared to other au- riod is 10,000 tons. However, the difficul- kg in October and sluggish demand for
tumn products. The low demand created ties faced by our producers this year are the product. On the contrary, the Europe-
by the reduced tourist demand in the sum- huge. The pandemic led to the closure of an production volume is very satisfactory,
mer, continues to be a feature of the new the borders with Bulgaria and as a result with the exception of Germany, where the
season in Nevrokopi, as a result of which the workers who came from our neighbor- potatoes are not many.



NOVEMBER 2020



22 INTERVIEW










“PUMPKIN HAS WON A PLACE

IN THE GREEK CONSUMER BASKET”



Supermarkets have put pumpkin on their shelves, both as a fresh
product and as ready-to-eat. The details of this development are de-
scribed in Froutonea by Mr. Sammy Touron, Owner of Touron S.A.



As I told you, the butternut squash va-
riety is more recognizable, as it is a pump-
kin of 500-1,200 grams, i.e. a size that al-
SAMMY TOURON lows it to be easily handled and cut in the
supermarket or at home, without the sub-
OWNER OF TOURON S.A. sequent use of cellophane. After all, it is a
product that is affordable. Regarding the
Producer price, depending on the quality
and the Market in which it will be sold, it
fluctuates from 0.10 to 0.25 euros per kilo.
Your Company distributes an extreme-
ly practical product of cut pumpkin.
Mr. Touron, with which areas of Greece Give us a description and tell us about
do you cooperate for the supply of its commercial course.
pumpkin? In general, in which other For 8 years we have established this
areas is this product grown? product on the shelves of the AB Vasilo-
Our Company supplies pumpkins from poulos supermarket chain. This is a cut The butternut squash variety
Producers in Trikala, Orchomenos and Ar- pumpkin butternut squash, coming from is the most recognizable, as
cadia. However, pumpkin crops with a dis- Trikala. The special packaging we use,
tinct presence exist in Ilia and in some ar- gives it the advantage to be kept in good it is a pumpkin of 500-1,200
eas of Northern Greece. In general, the condition, up to 5-6 days after cutting.
climatic conditions of our country favor the grams, i.e. a size that allows
cultivation of this product, due to its needs Speaking about exports, what results
for low humidity levels. For this reason, the do the Greek pumpkins record? In it to be easily handled
harvest must be done before the autumn general in Europe, what are the Mar- and cut in the supermarket
rains begin, otherwise they lose in quality. kets with the highest consumption of
pumpkin? or at home, without the
What kind of pumpkin is in the most The main buyer country in Europe is En-
demand in the fresh market and at gland. Once upon a time, only our Compa- subsequent use of cellophane.
what levels do its prices usually fluc- ny exported there 4,000 tons. However, the
tuate? growth of pumpkin cultivation in the Iberi- After all, it is a product with
A large number of different pumpkin va- an Peninsula, favored by ideal climatic con- an affordable price
rieties are grown in Greece, like he butter- ditions, has led the market into the hands
nut squash which is the most recognizable, of the Spaniards and the Portuguese, who
other hybrids of larger or smaller size and also benefit from the significantly lower
the traditional ones. In general, the pump- cost of transporting pumpkins to England.
kin has gone beyond the limits of pumpkin Nevertheless, exports are made to the
pie production and has won a place in the Netherlands and Belgium, while our Com-
basket of the Greek consumer, even as ba- pany sends pumpkins to both the United
by food, as it is a multivitamin product. Arab Emirates and the Seychelles.



NOVEMBER 2020

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED FOR THE FIRST


WEBINAR OF THE EUROCASTANEA NETWORK



The European Chestnut Network organised its first ever webinar
on the current harvest, market prospects in Europe, and the impact of the health crisis.



lower than those of other EU producer
countries.

Common issues
During the webinar, topics common to
the 5 countries of the Eurocastanea net-
work were highlighted. The first sub-
ject is the control of diseases (chestnut
blight, fruit rots, root dieback) due to cli-
On October 7, Eurocastanea, the Europe- mate change, hot and dry summers and
an chestnut network brought online near- autumns. Second important point, the es-
ly 70 operators from the chestnut sectors: tablishment of a water management policy
producers, APOs and marketers from 8 appeared to be essential for a viable pro-
countries. Participants from Austria, Spain, duction. Finally, speakers from each coun-
France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Moroc- try recognized that it is indispensable to
co and Chile connected to follow this mini stimulate the market and consumption,
conference on this season’s chestnut pro- and to communicate, especially to young
duction and the impact of the covid-19 on people. This webinar humbly replaced The
consumption. Three main themes emerged European Chestnut Days which should
: tree’s health, new plantations and the have taken place in New Aquitaine (Limou-
2020 production figures. set up in many European regions such as sin) in September this year. This major an-
Portugal, the North of Spain and in France. nual meeting of producers, marketers, pro-
The management cessors and researchers is postponed until
of the gall wasp Production prospects 2020 September 2021.
European countries have all achieved Portugal estimates that its production
a protocol for the organic management will amount to 36.000 tonnes, with medi- The webinar
of the gall wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphi- um sizes and good quality. Its production is co-organizers were:
lus) through the introduction of Torymus. developing with the entry into the market
This method is effective and allows a fairly of fruits from new orchards. • For France: Interprofessional Union
good control of the pest who caused signif- In France, there is a fairly good harvest of Chestnut in South-West France
icant losses to past year’s production. For in the south-east. It is weaker in the south- (SNPC), National Union of Chestnut
example, this solution made it possible for west. Producers, Interco Aquitaine, AREFLH
Italy to return to its full production poten- The Italian harvest is estimated at 20 to
tial. However, Spain, Portugal and the Lim- 30% higher than that of 2019 in most re- • For Portugal: Refcast,
ousin area in France are still showing yield gions. Italy should thus retrieve its full pro-
losses, the populations of the pest and the duction potential. • For Spain: Red Estatal del Castaño
auxiliary are not yet balanced. The production forecast for Spain is
around 28.000 tonnes, it will be in deficit • For Italy: CSDC, Centro di Studio
The development of chestnut due to losses linked to the gall wasp. e Documentazione sul Castagno,
plantations Finally, Austria is seeing its production Chestnut R&D Center
The European market faces a high de- increase, new rational orchards are grad-
mand in chestnut but the offer remains low. ually coming into production. But its har- • For Austria: ARGE Zukunft
Still, efficient plantation dynamics are now vested volumes have always been much Edelkastanie



NOVEMBER 2020