"Kiwifruit development in Kavala, Greece, progressing with normal volumes" - Portal of Greek and Cypriot fruit and vegetable producers

The development of Hayward kiwifruit in the Kavala region, one of Greece’s most important growing areas for the crop, appears to be progressing without any major issues. The current situation is described by Savvas Argyrakis, General Secretary of the local cooperative Kavala Coop.

“It is a normal season, nothing like last year, when we experienced frost damage. However, we are slightly behind in terms of production timing. All crops are approximately 10 days later than usual, both in terms of fruit shape and size development. At this stage, the fruit continues to grow, and we are carrying out all the necessary cultivation practices, such as summer pruning, fertilisation, nutrition management and plant protection. We will wait until the end of this month to have a clearer picture of fruit sizes.”

Regarding the broader market environment, the representative of the Greek cooperative points out that previous tariff threats, disruptions caused by geopolitical developments and the war, as well as the closure of key maritime routes, have created significant turbulence.

“All these factors are disrupting the market and making kiwifruit trading more difficult. We saw this last season, when large volumes were concentrated in European markets, as part of the shipments traditionally destined for Asia were affected by the war in the Middle East and the rerouting of shipping routes around Africa. Many traders were discouraged from sending large quantities to such distant markets due to significantly longer transit times, resulting in higher volumes remaining available in Europe and making the marketing of the product more challenging.”

Savvas Argyrakis (right) with the Kavala Coop team at Fruit Logistica 2026.

Nevertheless, Argyrakis considers the outcome of the season for Kavala kiwifruit to have been positive: “At the moment, there are no stocks of Greek kiwifruit left. They finished a long time ago. Perhaps there are only isolated pallets available in some wholesale markets, but essentially, sales have been completed. Regarding producer prices in the Kavala region, the season was very successful. Prices were particularly high and represented a very positive development for growers. Of course, the region experienced frost damage, mainly in specific areas near the Nestos River, where production was reduced. However, overall, the season was very good for Kavala, with high producer prices.”

For more information:
Savvas Argyrakis
Kavala Coop
Tel: +30 25108 30184
kiwi-asparagus@easkavalas.gr