Greek strawberries undercut Spanish and Italian prices in EU wholesale markets this week

Fresh Market Digest | Week 12, 2026

As Europe moves from winter staples to early spring specialties, wholesale produce markets are showing notable shifts. Week 12, 2026 data from Mercamadrid (Spain), OKAA (Athens), BLE (Germany), and Rungis (France) highlight strong citrus markets, with Orri mandarins at historically high levels, while strawberries show significant variation by origin, with particularly low prices in Greece. This report explores key price movements, supply dynamics, and emerging trade opportunities across Europe’s major wholesale produce markets.

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Spain’s Mercamadrid

The Orri mandarin continues to dominate the Spanish citrus market. After holding near the €2.60/kg mark earlier in the season, prices have eased slightly to €2.40/kg, as wholesalers aim to maintain high-volume throughput as this variety reaches its peak availability. However, with production significantly lower this year due to adverse weather, this price floor remains historically high.

Nadorcott prices fell modestly to €1.41/kg. This variety is currently facing heavy pressure from Moroccan and Egyptian imports entering the EU market at aggressive prices, forcing the Spanish market to lower prices to keep local fruit moving.

The Salustiana juicing variety rose 15.6%, as a response to the shortage of juice-grade fruit right now in Europe. Buyers are now willing to pay a premium to secure high-Brix juice stock. Conversely, standard Navel oranges dropped to €0.80/kg, reflecting the seasonal Navel late transition, where older stock is being liquidated to make room for the Sanguina blood orange, which saw a healthy climb to €1.69/kg as consumer demand for seasonal specialty citrus peaks.

While the rest of the board fluctuates, the acidic citrus categories remain resilient. Primafiori lemon prices decreased slightly to €1.41/kg, indicating that the market is well-supplied. However, traders should watch for the transition to the Verna variety, which typically commands a higher premium as volumes tighten in late spring.

Both red and yellow grapefruit are locked at €1.40/kg. Unlike other citrus, Spanish grapefruit production is up this year, but strong export demand to Northern Europe is preventing a price collapse, keeping the price floor stable.

After the traditional early-winter price surge, the Spanish strawberry market is now experiencing a second peak, driven by erratic weather in Huelva and evolving export dynamics.

Currently, strawberries are trading at €4.50/kg—unusually high for the start of spring. This period sits between the tail end of early varieties and the rise of mid-season varieties. Although overall volumes are increasing, buyers are paying a premium for fruit with higher Brix levels and superior firmness, qualities that have been challenging to maintain following February’s adverse weather.

Greece’s Central Market of Athens (OKAA)

Variety	Week 11 (€/kg)	Week 12 (€/kg)	Change
Lemons	1.10	1.10	=
Krystallia pears	1.70	1.70	=
Granny Smith apples	1.20	1.30	+8.33%
Starking Delicious apples	1.20	1.30	+8.33%
Fuji apples	1.50	1.60	+6.67%
Avocado	3.00	3.00	=
Kiwi	2.00	2.00	=
Strawberries	-	2.50	-

After a period of stable apple prices, wholesalers have begun raising rates. Granny Smith, Starking Delicious, and Fuji varieties all saw increases of 6.6% to 8.3%. Stocks from the late-2025 Greek harvest are starting to dwindle. With storage costs remaining high, packers are passing these charges down the supply chain. Krystallia pears remain steady at €1.70/kg, with the local favourite continuing as the primary volume driver.

Strawberries entered the market this week at €2.50/kg. Compared with the €4.50/kg currently reported in Mercamadrid, Greek berries are arriving at a low price. Recent weather has favoured ripening, especially in the Manolada region in the Peloponnese. While domestic prices are low, Greek exporters are focusing on German and Eastern European markets.

Meanwhile, lemons, priced at €1.10/kg, remain a bargain for European buyers. Northern European wholesalers are increasingly turning to Athens to offset higher prices and tighter supplies of Spanish Primafiori lemons.

Avocados (€3.00/kg) are being supported by a combination of local Cretan production and imports, while kiwis (€2.00/kg) are holding at a seasonal floor.

Germany's Federal Office for Agriculture & Food (BLE)

Data is released with a one-week lag; this analysis compares week 10 with week 11 data.

The most dramatic movement in the BLE data is the soaring price of Italian Taroco oranges. Prices surged 15.5%, reflecting the end of its season as supply thins. In contrast, the Spanish Sanguinelli saw a slight dip to €1.81/kg, positioned as the value alternative to the Italian premium.

The table orange category seems to be stabilizing, with Spanish and Italian varieties finding a common floor. After a period of higher pricing, Italian Navels have dropped to €1.15/kg, aligning perfectly with Spanish Navels. This suggests that the German market is currently saturated with late-season Navel stock, leading importers to harmonize prices to maintain steady sell-through.

Mandarins are holding steady at €2.04/kg. High-quality late hybrids (like Nadorcott and Orri) are sustaining this price floor.

Spanish lemons have held firm at €1.56/kg. While the Athens market is much cheaper (at €1.10/kg), the German market’s deep-rooted logistics and long-term contracts with Spanish cooperatives (particularly from Murcia) prevent a sudden shift toward Greek supply.

Greek strawberries have entered the German market in good numbers this season. After peaking at €7.69/kg in Week 7, prices have plummeted to €5.73/kg by Week 11—a 25% drop in just one month, establishing the lower end of the market. By undercutting both Italy and Spain, Greek exporters are capturing high-volume discount-retail contracts.

Italian strawberries are the most expensive in the German market. They hit a seasonal high of €8.01/kg in Week 7, and even with the current correction to €6.45/kg, they maintain a 12% premium over Greek fruit.

Spanish strawberries are the middle ground but also the most volatile, largely reflecting the weather-induced supply shocks in Huelva. While other origins were softening, Spanish prices spiked to €6.95/kg in Week 9 due to supply shortages. Now Spain has settled at €6.31/kg, finding a middle ground between the Greek value tier and the Italian premium tier.

France’s Rungis International Market

Data is released with a one-week lag; this analysis compares week 10 with week 11 data.

Variety	Week 10 (€/kg)	Week 11 (€/kg)	Change
Lemon, Spain	1.80	1.80	=
Conference pear, France	2.30	2.30	=
Gala apple, France	1.86	1.90	+2.15%
Golden apple, France	1.60	1.76	+10%
Granny Smith apple, France	1.80	1.80	=
Reinette Grise du Canada apple, France	2.00	2.00	=
Strawberries, Belgium	16.60	16.00	-3.61%
Strawberries, Spain	7.40	7.20	-2.70%
Strawberries, France	-	13.60	-

French strawberries entered the market at €13.60/kg, a very high price compared to other markets, reflecting the recent arrival of domestic varieties. Belgian strawberries dropped slightly from €16.60 to €16.00/kg. Earlier in the month, they commanded a premium due to the lack of French supply, but now they’re losing their scarcity leverage. Spanish strawberries are trading at the price floor of €7.20/kg, significantly higher than in Mercamadrid.

The French pip fruit sector is showing signs of late-season inflation as storage stocks are ending. Golden Delicious saw a significant 10% increase to €1.76/kg. Gala apples followed suit with a 2.15% rise, while Granny Smith and Reinette Gris remained stable.

Overall, prices remain stable. Conference pears hold steady at €2.30/kg, and Spanish lemons are locked at €1.80/kg.

Market outlook

Several factors will shape the wholesale landscape in the coming weeks:

●       Strawberry convergence: The price gap between Spanish and Greek strawberries in Germany is likely to narrow as Huelva’s production boosts volume. French domestic prices will likely remain stable due to strong internal demand.

●       Juice-grade squeeze: A 15% rise in Spanish Salustiana oranges signals a tightening supply of juicing fruit. This trend could continue through April, potentially affecting retail juice pricing.

●       Apple stocks running low: Price increases of 8–10% for French Golden and Granny Smith apples indicate that the crop is nearly exhausted. Buyers can anticipate some price volatility.

Across Europe, citrus markets remain structurally firm, supported by sufficient late-season supply and strong export demand. Strawberries are entering a highly competitive phase, with Greece emerging as the dominant price leader. Traders and retailers should closely monitor supply shifts, quality premiums, and price floors, and consider multi-origin sourcing to navigate seasonal peaks and market interdependencies.

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