Fruit and vegetable imports in our country increased by 36.96% in March 2024, according to data from the INCOFRUIT-HELLAS Association of Hellenic Enterprises Exporting, Trading Fruits, Vegetables and Juices, reaching 103,890 tons compared to 75,856 in the same month of 2023.
The “champion” of imports is the potato with 67,753 tons (+83%) compared to 36,999 tons in March last year.
They are followed by apples with 3,375 tons (207%) against 1,098 tons, tomatoes 316 tons (507%) against 52 tons and oranges with imports this March being 572 tons against 86 tons last year.
Regarding the first quarter of 2024, it is estimated that imports continued at an increased rate reaching 232,854 tons of fruits and vegetables against 183,158 tons in the corresponding period of 2023, increased by 27.13%.
The main products imported
According to data from the Association, the main imported products are the following:
– 131,220 tons of potatoes compared to 90,643 tons in 2023 (+44.77%) coming (based on January 2024 ELSAT data) from France, Egypt and Cyprus.
– 61,301 tons of bananas against 60,122 tons in 2023 (+1.96%) coming from Ecuador, Costa Rica and Colombia.
– 6,847 tons of onions, against 10,187 tons last year (32.79%) coming from the Netherlands, Austria and Germany.
– 948 tons of tomatoes compared to 258 tons in 2023 + 267.44% coming from Germany followed by Turkey and Egypt.
– 1,492 tons of peppers/bell peppers versus 1,156 tons in 2023 (29.07%) coming from Israel, Bangladesh and the Netherlands.
– 498 tons of lemons against 277 tons in 2023 (+79.78%) coming from Turkey, the Netherlands and Spain.
– 7,261 tons of apples compared to 2,255 tons last year (+222%) coming from North Macedonia, Italy and Poland.
– 1,355 tons of avocados compared to 522 tons last year (+159.6%) coming from the Netherlands, Israel and Cyprus.
– 1,086 tons of kiwifruit compared to 141 tons last year (+670.41%) coming from Iran, Italy and Spain.
– 1,057 tons of oranges compared to 100 last year (+957%) coming mainly from Egypt.
– 3,218 tons of mushrooms compared to 3,192 tons last year (+0.81%) coming from Poland, Romania and Italy.
“International competition is increasing”
“The importation of fresh fruits and vegetables shows the continuous growth of foreign competition both in our country and in the other community markets,” said the Association’s Special Advisor, Giorgos Polychronakis, to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency.
According to data, 2023 Community imports from third countries were increased in volume and value compared to 2022, reaching 11.9 million tons of fruit and 2.369 million tons of vegetables.
The main supplier countries are, in order, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, etc.
It is noted that the import-export balance of the E.U. in fruits it is negative by 8.853 billion euros and in vegetables by 1.169 billion euros.
As Mr. Polychronakis emphasizes, the increase in imports from third countries from the European Union “are due to the existing divergence in labor, social, environmental issues, which exist between Community and non-Community producers, and cause continuous growth of imports both in the EU market as well as in Greek”.
“It is necessary that fruits and vegetables from third countries meet the same quality standards required for EU producers, with equal working conditions and the same use of plant protection products” he said, concluding that the Greek authorities should carry out “strict controls to comply with the commercial quality specifications and the absence of pesticide residues in the imported products in the Greek market while ensuring that they are not Greekized”.
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