Cheaper white cheese produced from cheap – in many cases imported – milk and cheap imported cheeses, such as gouda, are being chosen by households in Greece, having dropped the more expensive PDO slice with sheep and goat milk of Greek origin, one of the iconic components of the diet in our country.
Not even the offers that supermarkets make from time to time, with prices at 9-10 euros per kilo for the PDO slice, seem to be able to move consumers who continue to see their incomes become a burden of precision.
A similar picture, perhaps even worse, is displayed by the Cypriot market in terms of the consumption of halloumi, which is the main cheese product of the mega-island. It is characteristic that Cypriots instead of PDO halloumi eat cheap imported grill cheese!
Greeks reduced their feta consumption by over 70%
“The consumption of feta cheese is decreasing by 70%” says Stelios Sarantis, managing director of the Hellenic Dairies group (Olympos, Tyras), which is also confirmed by the conclusions of the recent mapping carried out by the Competition Commission on the Greek feta market.
As reported by the independent Authority, over a period of almost one and a half years (1/2/23-31/6/2024), the volume of sales of branded feta products decreased from approximately 85% at the beginning of the period under review, to 79% at the end her.
“In Greece, about 80 thousand tons of feta were consumed and about 40 thousand tons were exported, now it is the other way around. Eighty, almost 90 thousand tons are exported and 30 thousand tons are consumed in the internal market”, characteristically notes Mr. Sarantis.
Exports of feta are “flying”.
Exports of feta continue to grow and this year it is estimated that they will register an increase of 6%.
Already from the beginning of 2024 until the end of July, the exports of the “white gold” as our national cheese is characterized, moved upwards by 7% compared to the corresponding period last year.
It should be noted that in the balance of current transactions in the agri-food sector, feta cheese contributed to our country 1 billion euros based on the numbers of 2023 when exactly ten years ago, in 2014, feta cheese exported only 142 million euros. That is, in the period 2013-2024, export sales of feta saw a 700% increase!
97% of halloumi is extracted
At the same time, halloumi has become the second most important export product of Kyporos, with the market in this category adding up to a total value of 300 million euros.
This amount concerns almost exclusively exports, as 97% of the halloumi produced on the island is directed to foreign markets.
It is worth mentioning that the total production of halloumi in Cyprus in 2023 reached 43,000 tons.
Accuracy gallops
Apart from the changes resulting from global dietary trends, which have undoubtedly affected Greek consumers as well, the reasons for the dramatic decline in feta consumption are mainly focused on the price of the product, which has now become a luxury item for a large part of households in the country us.
Based on ELSTAT data, the price increases in cheeses, of which feta is the most popular, reached 39.3% in the period 2021-2023.
In 2024 – from January to September – there was a small correction in cheese prices, of -2.14%. Even so, the slice remains at least 30% more expensive than at the beginning of 2022.
Source: ot.gr
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