Page 28 - October freshletter_UK

26 FRESHLETTER

“CONSUMPTION OF AVOCADO

IN GREECE IS INCREASING»

Mr. George Antonakis, General Manager of Synergatiki S.A. talks
about the characteristics of the avocado cultivation in Creta and
the upward course of the fruit consumption in the Greek Market.

GIORGOS ANTONAKIS

GENERAL MANAGER,
SYNERGATIKI S.A.

Mr Antonakis, give us a comment on
the last season of avocado. Have you
been satisfied with the course of the
product?
The product appears to have a steadily in-
creasing consumption in the Greek Market,
leaving everyone satisfied in the avocado vate, what we have achieved in Chania is thus tarnish the reputation of the Cretan
production chain, from Producer to Entre- to obtain a very good quality, improving the avocado.
preneur of standardization and distribution. cultivation methods.
The World Avocado Organization
The new avocado harvest is about to How much is the organic sector of av- (WAO) is organizing country-wide
begin. What to expect from a quanti- ocados growing compared to that of consumption campaigns. In Greece, if
tative and qualitative perspective? conventional cultivation? we’re not mistaken, in Greece there is
In terms of quantity, we expect low- Avocado is one of the safest agricultur- no WAO member. Given this example,
er volume than last year, certainly in the al products, as there are no enemies of how do you judge the general man-
Fuerte variety, which, while was preparing fruit and tree at present, so it is a crop with agement and promotion of the Greek
us at the beginning of flowering for a per- minimal chemical interference. In addition, product?
fect year, the unfavorable climatic condi- the climate and soil of Creta are ideal for There is currently no body representing
tions that followed, did not allow the fruit the organic cultivation of the crop, which producers and packers in Greece. Howev-
to grow as it could. In the opposite direc- seems to have an upward trend. er, the consumption of avocados is on the
tion we can see the Hass variety, where rise due to the great influence of social me-
the year looks very good in terms of quan- Judging by the messages you receive dia, in line with the recent years trend for
tities, both from the new plantations and from the market, with what omens healthy eating and living. Avocados are a
from the old ones. does the new trading season begin? nutritional treasure and have many uses.
Is there any element that raises con-
In general, at which depth has avoca- cerns or any particular optimism? Is there a particular goal for your
do entered the activities and the cul- An important problem observed in re- Business this year?
ture of the producers? cent years is the hasty release of the prod- The aim is to maintain high quality stan-
Many people are now specialized in av- uct to the Greek Market, as a result of dards, extend the Cretan avocado market-
ocado and although it is a product that re- which it does not meet its qualitative crite- ing period and of course there is always
quires know-how and is difficult to culti- ria properly, does not mature properly and the goal of the exports.

OCTOBER 2019