ATHENS – Exports of canned peach are facing great difficulties because of restrictive measures taken to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, the Greek Canners Association said on Monday. Costas Apostolou, president of the Association, speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, said that traditionally exports rose ahead of the Catholic Easter, but “unforrtunately, despite increased demand recorded in the first quarter of 2020 compared with the same period last year, the combination of workers’ concerns and measures taken in the country’s customs created delays that were likely to intensify in the near future”.

He said that peach production totaled 430,000 tons in 2019 from 316,000 in 2018 and 380,000 in 2017, which means 12 million boxes of canned peach, an increase of 10 pct from 2018. Apostolou said that Germany is the largest market for Greek canned peaches, while the EU absorbs around 60-65 pct of exports. Exports are also made to Canada, Indonesia, Bolivia and Vietnam. There are currently 14 canners operating in the country, who also produce peach juice, while another four-five factories produce frozen juice or exclusively peach juice, all in the prefectures of Pella, Imathia and Larisa. The industry has a workforce of 2,000 permanent workers.