Fresh Market Digest: Week 48

Greek kiwi season update, citrus harvest boom, pip fruit in storage

As Europe enters late autumn, markets are showing a mix of stability and divergence. Core categories like apples and pears remain balanced, while citrus, kiwis, and avocados reveal notable price splits driven by supply constraints, strong demand, and premiumization trends. This report highlights current market conditions and the key factors shaping prices across major European fruit categories.

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Fruits in season

European growers are currently harvesting:

Citrus (mandarins, early oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit): Main season is in full swing.
Pip fruit (apples, pears, quince): Season wrapping up.
Persimmons: Peak harvest.
Pomegranates: Harvesting continues.
Avocados: Season in full swing.
Kiwis: Late season.
Bananas: Year-round harvest

Greek kiwi season update: High quality, strong prices, extended storage

The 2025 Greek kiwi harvest has finished on a high note, with growers selling top-quality Hayward (green) fruit at strong prices. While the season delivered favourable size and quality, tough markets are seeing continued competition from popular New Zealand imports.

Harvest quality and size

High quality: Kiwis this season are of good quality and expected to maintain freshness for an unusually long period.
Good sizing: Fruit sizes meet European demand for larger kiwis, supporting strong market prices.
Sugar content: Brix levels range from 8 to 9, well above the government-mandated minimum of 6. Harvest officially began on October 15th, in line with regulations preventing premature picking.

Production and weather conditions

Overall, the weather across major kiwi-producing regions has been favourable, contributing to good production. Coastal, central, and western Thessaloniki regions reported strong yields.

The Northeast, particularly around Kavala, experienced severe weather events, resulting in a production loss of over 60% in some areas.

Pricing and market dynamics

Strong farmgate prices: Farmgate prices are firm this year, ranging from €1.00 to €1.20 per kilogram, continuing an upward trend from previous years (€0.80–€1.00 last year, €0.60–€0.80 two years ago)
Wholesale competition: Greek growers face competition from popular New Zealand kiwis, which are entering wholesale markets in larger-than-usual volumes.

Storage potential and season extension

Greek kiwis are exceptionally long-lasting in specialised CO2 storage and can be preserved for 8–9 months. Excellent quality this year is expected to lead to a commercial selling season that extends into June, well beyond last year’s early April conclusion.

Sales strategy: Packers sell part of the harvest in November and December to maintain cash flow, and may store the rest to sell in late spring when supply is lower and prices are expected to rise.

Variety trends

Hayward dominance: Hayward green kiwis continue to dominate Greek production.
Rising demand for differentiation: Interest in yellow (Gold) and red kiwis is growing, as they are considered premium due to their minimal production.

Want to stay ahead of the market? Explore real-time global fruit prices on the Wikifarmer Marketplace.

Wholesale fruit prices by country

Spain

In the Spanish wholesale market, mandarins (Oronules at €0.40/kg and Clemenules at €0.50/kg) and Navelina oranges (€0.50/kg) are highly competitive due to the massive volumes currently being harvested. This seasonal abundance also extends to tropical and late-autumn fruits, such as persimmons (Rojo brillante) and Hass avocados, which are available at an exceptionally low price point of €0.50/kg. Prices for cold-stored pip fruits are more diverse; common varieties like Golden and Royal Gala apples remain economical (€0.70–€0.75/kg), while premium, high-value varieties such as Pink Lady apples (€2.00/kg) and the gourmet Doyan de Comice pears (€2.50/kg) command significantly higher prices. Kiwi (Kiwigold, Green flesh) and pomegranates are positioned in the moderate to high-value range (€1.40–€1.80/kg), consistent with their status as high-demand produce.

Fruit	Variety	Prevailing price (€/kg)
Avocados	Hass	0.50
Persimmons		1.25
	Rojo brillante	0.50
Pomegranates		1.80
Kiwi	Kiwigold	1.50
	Green flesh	1.40
Limes		0.50
Lemons	Primafiori	0.70
Mandarins	Clemenules	0.50
	Oronules	0.40
Apples	Golden, Fuji, Reineta	0.70
	Granny Smith	1.50
	Royal Gala	0.75
	Pink Lady	2.00
	Starking	1.25
	Green Doncella	1.00
Quince		0.60
Oranges	Navelina	0.50
Pears	Conference, Blanquillas, Ercolini	0.80
	Doyan de Comice	2.50
Bananas		0.80
Grapefruit	Red	0.65
	Yellow	0.80

Italy

In the Italian wholesale market, abundant Navel oranges are priced exceptionally low at €0.50–€0.55/kg, reflecting the massive volumes entering the market. Similarly, persimmons are available at a very economical €0.61/kg. The pricing for apples is moderate (€0.82–€1.06/kg), indicating a stable supply from storage. However, premiumization is evident in the pears category, where the quality-focused Abate Fetel variety is nearly double the price of the common Conference pear (€1.96/kg vs. €1.19/kg). Gold Kiwi (€2.53/kg) is priced significantly higher than the standard Hayward kiwi (€1.81/kg), reflecting a premium for the yellow-flesh variety. Avocados are listed at a steep €3.60/kg, suggesting high-quality, niche domestic production.

Fruit	Variety & size	Average price (€/kg)
Avocados		3.60
Kiwi	Gold (yellow flesh)	2.53
	Hayward	1.81
Persimmons		0.61
Apples	Golden Delicious	0.82
	Gala	0.87
	Annurca	1.06
Pears	Abate Fetel	1.96
	Doyan de Comice	1.57
	Conference	1.19
Oranges	Navel (Syracus, Catania, Reggio Calabria)	0.50-0.55

France

In the French wholesale market, apples are uniformly priced at a premium of €1.73/kg, reflecting the high standards of grading and controlled storage. Similarly, pears are highly differentiated by variety and size, with the premium dessert variety Doyenne du Comice reaching €2.72/kg. Corsican Clementines are priced at a luxury level of €3.60/kg, a near double premium over the easily imported Spanish oranges (€1.80/kg), highlighting the demand for French-certified origin.

For real-time price updates, visit Price Insights – Rungis International Market.

Fruit	Variety & other specifications	Average price (€/kg)
Pears	Conference, France, cat. I, 70-75 mm	2.30
	Doyenne du comice, France, cat. I, 80-85 mm	2.72
	Williams, green, France, cat. I, 70-75 mm	2.02
Apples	Gala, France, cat. I, 201/270g	1.73
	Golden, France, cat. I, 201/270g	1.73
	Granny Smith, France, cat. I, 201/270g	1.73
	Reinette grise du Canada, France, cat. I, 201/270g	2.02
Lemons	Spain, cat. I 4, 58-67 mm	2.00
Clementines	Corse, cat. I 3	3.60
	Oronules, Spain, cat. I 1 & 2	1.80
Orange	Spain, Navelina, cat. I 3, 81-92 mm	1.25

Greece

In the Greek wholesale market, oranges and mandarins are competitively priced at €0.70/kg and €0.90/kg, respectively, with strong supply from regions such as the Peloponnese. This competitive pricing extends to Kiwi (Hayward), available at €1.80/kg. In contrast, avocados are listed at a premium of €3.00/kg, suggesting that production (primarily on Crete) is insufficient to meet demand. Apples are generally priced in the moderate range (€1.20–€1.50/kg), reflecting the cost of post-harvest cold storage, with the popular Fuji variety fetching the highest price. Late-autumn fruits, such as pomegranates and quince, are also priced mid-range at €1.50/kg, indicating their fresh, seasonal availability in manageable quantities.

For real-time price insights, visit Price Insights – Athens Central Market

Fruit	Variety	Prevailing price (€/kg)
Avocados		3.00
Kiwis		1.80
Pears	Krystalia	1.60
	Santa Maria	1.50
Quince		1.50
Lemons		0.90
Mandarins	Clementines	0.90
Apples	Gala, Golden Delicious	1.30
	Granny Smith, Starking Delicious	1.20
	Fuji	1.50
Bananas		1.00
Oranges	Navel	0.70
Pomegranates		1.50

Germany

In the German wholesale market, apples show dominance, with German-grown varieties like Elstar and Gala clustered in the €1.07–€1.13/kg range, reflecting stabilised prices from autumn storage. Similarly, pears maintain a competitive price bracket around €1.10–€1.38/kg. For citrus, Spanish satsumas (€1.23–€1.58/kg) and oranges (€1.23–€1.54/kg) are consistently the most affordable option, undercutting Italian and Greek supplies. This price differential is most pronounced in the kiwi category, where prices are stratified by origin and variety: green kiwi from Greece is the cheapest (€2.25–€2.50/kg), while premium Gold kiwi, often Italian, reaches the highest price range (€3.34–€5.02/kg).

For real-time price updates, visit Price Insights – Germany Market

Fruit	Variety & other specifications	Price range (€/kg)
Apples	Elstar, Germany, loose & 75-80 mm	1.07-1.09
	Jonagold, Germany, loose & 70-85 mm	1.10-1.70
	Golden Delicious, Italy, loose & 70-85 mm	1.10-1.77
	Gala, Germany, loose	1.13
Pears	Conference, Belgium, Germany & the Netherlands, loose	1.09-1.38
	Alexander Lucas, Germany, loose & 65-70 mm	1.20-1.37
	Williams Christ, Germany, loose	1.25
Kiwis	France, 25-33 mm	3.90-5.38
	Greece, 25-39 mm	2.25-2.50
	Italy, 25-39 mm	2.85-3.30
	Gold, Italy, 25-33 mm	3.34-5.02
Oranges	Navel, Greece, 1/2-5/6	1.30-1.69
	Navel, Italy, 1/2-7/8	1.86-2.10
	Navel, Spain, 1/2-7/8	1.23-1.54
	Valencia Late, Greece, 5/6	1.15
Clementines	Greece, 1/2	2.00
	Italy, 1x-3/4	1.88-2.30
	Spain, 1xx-3/4	1.45-2.23
Satsumas	Italy, 1xx	1.90
	Spain, 1xx-1x	1.23-1.58
Lemons	Spain, 3/4-5/6	1.71-1.83
Bananas		1.23-1.53

Market outlook

Citrus: A tight Northern Hemisphere supply may put upward pressure on prices in the long term, but abundant new harvests are keeping producer-country prices low.
Apples: Supply is stable but relatively limited, keeping the market balanced and preventing sharp price drops, especially for higher-quality fruit.
Pears: Limited volumes mean pricing remains segmented, with premium or branded varieties likely to maintain or gain a small price premium, while standard varieties face more competitive pressure.
Kiwis: Prices are diverging, with standard green Hayward kiwis selling cheaply, while Gold/yellow-flesh kiwis consistently command higher premiums.
Avocados: Prices vary widely, with Spanish farmers receiving low returns, while shoppers in major importing countries pay significantly more due to strong demand and added costs, such as shipping, ripening, and retail handling.

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