"Fierce competition with Spanish citrus fruits and avocados"
Westland Fruit is a Greek farm and export company. Founded in 2012, the company focuses on two main…Westland Fruit is a Greek farm and export company. Founded in 2012, the company focuses on two main crops, citrus fruits and avocados. The long-term knowledge of the cultivation of these crops runs back to 1988. And over the years the company has expanded, the volume of production has increased and export of the crops became a possibility. There are several different export projects, with Europe, the Balkans, Denmark and Russia.
Westland Fruit and Creta Star
Owner Emmanouil Archontakis tells that citrus is the main product for Westland Fruit. "The most important crops are oranges, clementines/tangerines and lemons, furthermore we produce avocados. The crops are sold under the name Westland Fruit for citrus and Creta Star for avocados. We have three locations, one in Crete for avocados, one in Mesologi for Navelines and clementines and one in Argos Peloponnisos for Navel and Valencia. A part of the production is purchased from other farmers. Where we keep a close eye on the quality of the production that we buy."
Price competition
It is becoming more difficult to distinguish yourself as a farmer and exporter according to Emmanouil Archontakis. " The competition is fierce, a real price war. We have higher production costs and our wages are higher compared to other countries that produce the same crops. It is a challenge to compete with the lower prices from countries like Spain."
The future is uncertain. "If the EU rules won’t change and if barriers don't apply on products from third countries, then the future of European citrus fruit can be uncertain and it will become even harder. We are trying to find other export markets, but that is not easy. We have a great and suitable climate and beautiful crops that should bring us success. We believe in our products, we are passionate and we offer quality. We pay attention to aspects of our business that other Greek exporters neglect. For instance our packaging with offset print."