Sales of Greek kiwifruit are gathering pace as the export season heads into its most important phase, according to one leading supplier.

However, prices for the Hayward variety are lower compared to the same period last year, Protofanousi Fruit export director George Kallitsis tells www.freshfruitportal.com.

"From now until the end of May is the most important time for Greek kiwifruit sales," he says.

"We have been exporting since the end of November and we continue to do so now and things are picking up during this part of the campaign because sales are and will continue to increase.

"Unfortunately, sale prices are much lower compared with last year, at around 15% lower. This is because of oversupply in the market."

Larger kiwifruit sizes have been missing from this year’s Greek crop and there have been slight quality issues due to weather-related problems during the growing season.

"Some suppliers experienced problems, mainly because of the very windy weather in some areas before harvesting. Also there were humidity issues during the blooming stages and this had an effect on quality as well.

"Regarding the stock that is left, it’s very difficult for me to estimate exactly how much there is at the moment but it’s more or less at the same level as last year over the same period. This year’s volume is more than demand though.

“While there are good prices for the bigger sizes, prices for the medium and smaller sizes are really below our expectations."

Key markets for Greek kiwifruit include mainland China, Hong Kong and the U.K., with smaller volumes supplied to Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria and Spain.

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www.freshfruitportal.com