“At that moment it began to rain again. It has rained almost every day for the last month. The cherries on the trees do not stand up and burst. It is now the end of May, but the minimum amount of harvest has been harvested, ”describes the mayor of Pella, Grigorios Stamkos. In the Pella region, a prefecture where 50% of Greek cherries are produced, growers are especially concerned that the production of early varieties has been almost wiped out by incessant rains. The mayor of Almopia speaks of the worst year for cherry production in the region in years. “For 17-20 days it rained continuously,” he describes, “all the cherries were destroyed.”

Giannis Tsartzarakis, who owns a packaging plant in the area, has yet to take any shipments from growers to ship abroad, as cherries are normally exported. “It was necessary to start from the beginning of May, but everything is degrading, they are not being exported. The destruction is total. There are ELGA programs that offer rain protection, meaning growers cover their fields to protect their fruit from rain. But this time it didn’t make sense because the conditions in the fields were wintery. The day before yesterday, the downpour was such that streams formed, the producers could not even enter their fields, ”he describes. Worst of all, not only will growers have no income from selling their products, but they will also have to pay to protect their trees. After destruction, the fruits still need to be collected. “If it rots on the tree, it will cause diseases,” adds Mr. Yannis Tsartzarakis.

This year, sweet cherries suffered greatly, as the warm winter did not contribute to flowering on time, so there were cases of fruit death. Cherry growers in Pella say “every year is better”, but in recent years they have faced many problems due to weather conditions. Some have already decided to switch to other later varieties of cherries or change crops altogether. Mr. Tsartzarakis grows apricots that are more resilient to harsh weather conditions.

Producers in Pella are outraged, and some have already decided to switch to other varieties or change crops altogether.

Over-performance in Turkey

Cherry under normal conditions is a dynamic crop that brings good income to producers. Last year, the total harvest was 93,750 tons – preliminary figures from Eurostat – of which 23,658 tons were exported. For now, cherry growers further north, where grown varieties are harvested later, remain optimistic, but that doesn’t mean the rains aren’t affecting quality. Greek growers will have to face another challenge this year, according to Giorgos Polichronakis, Special Consultant at Incofruit Hellas, “the superiority of Turkey’s cherry production, which is expected to increase by around 20%.” The current weather conditions also affected the consumption of all summer vegetables and fruits, which has not yet begun actively, the expert emphasizes.

The problem of shortage of agricultural workers, especially at this time, is particularly acute. “This is the season when cherries and apricots are harvested, and peach trees need to be thinned out to produce good peaches. Everything is happening at the same time, and the workers we had before have gone to other countries in search of a living wage,” explains Mr. Tsartzarakis.

Peach growers and farmers from Imathia and Northern Greece are forced to seek workers in Southeast Asia, as highlighted in a recent K report (“We Miss Albanians” – Peach Orchards Await Asian Workers, 16/4/2023).