Paradox: imports of fruits and vegetables to Greece have increased

Imports of fruits and vegetables into our country increased by 36.96% in March 2024, according to the Association of Greek Enterprises for the Export, Trade of Fruits, Vegetables and Juices INCOFRUIT-HELLAS, reaching 103,890 tons compared to 75,856 tons in the same month 2023.

The “champion” in imports is potatoes – 67,753 tons (+83%) compared to 36,999 tons in March last year. It is followed by apples – 3375 tons (207%) versus 1098 tons, tomatoes – 316 tons (507%) versus 52 tons and oranges – imports in March this year amounted to 572 tons versus 86 tons last year.

As for the first quarter of 2024, imports are estimated to have continued at an increased pace, reaching 232,854 tons of fruits and vegetables compared to 183,158 tons in the corresponding period of 2023, an increase of 27.13%. According to the Association, the main imported products are:

• 131,220 tons of potatoes versus 90,643 tons in 2023 (+44.77%) come (according to ELSAT data for January 2024) from France, Egypt and Cyprus.
• 61,301 tons of bananas versus 60,122 tons in 2023 (+1.96%) – from Ecuador, Costa Rica and Colombia.
• 6,847 tons of onions against 10,187 tons last year (32.79%) came from the Netherlands, Austria and Germany.
• 948 tons of tomatoes compared to 258 tons in 2023 + 267.44% comes from Germany, followed by Turkey and Egypt.
• 1,492 tons of pepper/bell pepper versus 1,156 tons in 2023 (29.07%) came from Israel, Bangladesh and the Netherlands.
• 498 tons of lemons versus 277 tons in 2023 (+79.78%) came from Turkey, the Netherlands and Spain.
• 7,261 tons of apples, up from 2,255 tons last year (+222%), came from North Macedonia, Italy and Poland.
• 1,355 tons of avocados versus 522 tons last year (+159.6%) came from the Netherlands, Israel and Cyprus.
• 1086 tons of kiwi versus 141 tons last year (+670.41%) came from Iran, Italy and Spain.
• 1057 tons of oranges compared to 100 tons last year (+957%) mainly came from Egypt.
• 3218 tons of mushrooms versus 3192 tons last year (+0.81%) came from Poland, Romania and Italy.

“The import of fresh fruits and vegetables shows the constant increase in foreign competition both in our country and in the markets of other communities,” the association’s special adviser, Giorgos Polychronakis, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency. According to the data, in 2023, imports of agricultural products from third countries increased in volume and value compared to 2022, reaching 11.9 million tons of fruit and 2.369 million tons. The main supplying countries are, in order, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, etc.

It is noted that the import-export balance EU for fruits it is negative by 8.853 billion euros, and for vegetables by 1.169 billion euros.

As Mr. Polychronakis emphasizes, the increase in imports from third countries from the European Union “is due to the existing differences in labor, social, environmental issues that exist between Community and non-Community producers, which causes a continuous increase in imports both to the EU market , and to Greece.”

PS It’s strange that fruits and vegetables are imported into agricultural Greece…

“It is necessary that fruit and vegetables from third countries meet the same quality standards required by EU producers, with equal working conditions and equal use of plant protection products“says the expert, adding that Greek authorities must exercise “strict monitoring of compliance” with commercial quality specifications and the absence of pesticide residues in imported products to the Greek market, while ensuring that they are not passed off as Greek, misleading consumers.”

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