Greece is coming up as a huge importer of avocados in southeastern Europe. This is due to a strong demand from urban dwellers who make up around 80% of the population. As towns and cities across the country get larger in size, most of the citizens are concentrated in and around the capital, Athens.
The avocado is emerging as a newfound love for consumers in Greece. This is as a result of more health conscious people and a longstanding tradition of eating fruits. Since Greece is widely recognized as a tourist hotspot, avocado consumption is predicted to grow in the years to come.
Greece Avocado Imports
Seeing that avocado production in Greece is still too low, avocado imports are found in the domestic market for most part of the year. In 2023, Greece shipped in nearly 7,000 tonnes of avocado. It is a slight decrease of 8% from the previous year.
Over the last 10 years, avocado imports in Greece have enjoyed year on year growth. The highest jump in volume was recorded from 2019 to 2020 at 51%. The peak volume was in the year 2022 at 7,523 tonnes.
Here is the import volume of avocados in Greece between 2012 and 2023.
Importing Avocados in Greece
Here is a step by step guide on how to import avocados in Greece:
Avocado Supplying Countries to Greece
Avocados that are re-exported from the Netherlands dominate the import market in Greece. In just two years, Kenya has gained in market share. From exporting avocados worth 16,000 US Dollars to reach about 600,000 US Dollars. The Greek avocado market is made up of a diversity of sources.
The other key avocado supplying countries to Greece are:
- Spain
- Italy
- Israel
- Turkey
- Belgium
It also imports avocado in small volumes from countries like:
- South Africa
- Germany
- France
Greece brings avocado from abroad through its main airport. Avocados get into the country as air freight by way of the Athens International Airport. The airport has a cargo terminal and cold storage rooms to keep avocados fresh as they were when harvested.
The other way avocados enter Greece is through its main commercial sea port. Avocados get into the country as sea freight by way of the Port of Piraeus. The sea port has a modern container terminal.
How to Know Reliable Avocado Suppliers in Greece
Avocado importers in Greece must present the following documents for their shipment to be released by the customs office:
- Import permit
- Commercial invoice
- Packing list
- Bill of Lading or Airway Bill
- Phytosanitary Certificate
- Certificate of Origin
Sourcing Avocados from Kenya
Here are some advantages Kenya has in supplying avocados to Greece:
- It has a longer season that lasts from February to October.
- Production costs are low therefore avocados from Kenya are competitively priced.
- Most of Kenya is covered by a sub-tropical climate which ensures consistency of quality and supply.
Average Transit Time of Importing Avocados in Greece
| COUNTRY | AIR FREIGHT | SEA FREIGHT |
| Kenya | 6 hours 10 minutes | 17 days |
| South Africa | 9 hours 30 minutes | 24 days |
Here is a top avocado exporter in Kenya.
Freshela Exporters
Freshela is a Kenyan based company that engages in the sourcing, processing and exporting of avocados and other fresh produce.
Freshela is a proud exporter of Kenyan avocados. We source avocados from our company farm and partner farms.
We give competitive pricing to our customers and guarantee reliable delivery time.
We use a modern grading machine to achieve desired avocado weight. The fruit is also graded to eliminate any with physical quality defects.
We pack avocado fruit for both air and sea freights. All of our avocado packing is approved by FDA and is certified by HACCP Quality Assurance.