Greek distributors continue to source Peruvian avocados in order to meet the needs of both the domestic and the Balkan markets. One of them is Olson Osafi, owner of Primorea, based in Thessaloniki, northern Greece: "Both the Greek and the Balkan market prefer the green skin varieties. A few avocados also come from Israel and South Africa. Most imports, however, come from Peru. We buy from many suppliers and so far we are very satisfied with the quality. The fruits arrive firm, with clean skin and a uniform shape."
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Mr. Osafi points out that demand is still not at a high level, while at the same time noting that sourcing avocados is not an easy task at this stage. As he explains: "The preferred sizes are 14 and 16. Right now, it is difficult to find avocados. Peru is finishing, and its product has become more expensive, while Israeli avocados are also costly and insufficient to meet demand in Europe. Indicatively, earlier in September, green skin Peruvian avocados were sold in a 4-kg pack from the Netherlands at €13. The price was similar for Peruvian Hass, while ready-to-eat Hass reached €4 per kilo."
"We send most of our avocados to the Balkans. They come through the Netherlands, and Thessaloniki is a favorable location for importers from those countries to source them. They buy on a weekly basis, but demand is still relatively low, and we expect it to rise from October onwards. In general, year by year, demand is increasing. In fact, although Greek avocados are up to €0.30 per kilo more expensive than Spanish ones, Greek avocados are the first choice because they are tastier. In the past, we used to count Greek avocado sales in boxes. Now we count that number in pallets. Their sales have increased more than tenfold," Mr. Osafi notes.
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Finally, regarding the new production in Greece and Spain, he comments: "We expect to receive the first Greek and Spanish avocados in mid-October. Until then, the quantities will be limited. For Spanish avocados, we expect to see smaller volumes this year due to drought. The Greek ones, however, will certainly be larger. Every year, new plantings are being made."
For more information:
Olson Osafi
Primorea
Tel: +30 2310 763 155
Email: [email protected]
https://primorea.com/en/