Greece Produces Over 40,000 Tonnes of Chestnuts as Exports Grow

Greece’s chestnut harvest is progressing, with production expected to remain stable or increase slightly in key growing regions, while improving quality offers some encouragement to farmers. However, high temperatures, a lack of moisture and rising cultivation costs continue to threaten yields and squeeze producers’ incomes.

In Melivoia, Thessaly, farmers expect production to exceed 1,500 tonnes, slightly above last year’s level. Thanasis Belias, a chestnut grower and former president of Melivoia, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) that the village would surpass 1,500 tonnes. Across the Municipality of Agia, production is expected to reach approximately 3,000 tonnes.

Prices depend heavily on the size of the nuts. Growers in Melivoia, which is renowned for its particularly large chestnuts, receive between €6.30 and €6.70 per kilogram for the largest sizes. The next category sells for around €3 per kilogram, while smaller chestnuts fetch approximately €2.

Belias also reported improved quality, particularly in relation to a fungus that affected production in previous years. He said intensive spraying and proper cultivation practices had helped control the problem.

Producers supply both domestic and international markets, exporting chestnuts to destinations including England, Spain and the Balkans.

Paiko harvest depends on rainfall and humidity

In Paiko, northern Greece, growers expect production to match last year’s level, reaching between 1,000 and 1,200 tonnes, provided weather conditions allow the harvest to finish without disruption.

Fotini Vairli, president of the Paiko Chestnut Growers’ Agricultural Cooperative, told AMNA that farmers had collected at least 30% of the expected crop so far.

Moisture remains a major concern. Vairli warned that without rain or at least some fog in the coming period, chestnuts could dry out on the trees, overturning current production estimates.

The cooperative has not yet calculated the final net price its members will receive. It will determine that figure after completing sales and accounting for expenses.

Vairli said selling prices remain broadly in line with last year, although they vary according to size. Negotiations continue, while weight loss affects how growers classify the nuts, particularly in the medium-sized category.

“The cooperative was not established to make a profit; it exists to fight for the highest possible price for the producer,” Vairli said.

She declined to estimate the final retail price because the product passes through several stages of the supply chain before reaching consumers.

The Paiko cooperative has 29 members and typically handles around 250–260 tonnes of chestnuts each year. Approximately 90% goes to export markets, although the cooperative also maintains customers in Greece.

Greek chestnut production rises gradually

The latest published official figures from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) show that Greece produced 40,100 tonnes of chestnuts in 2024, a 0.7% increase from 39,800 tonnes in 2023. Production stood at 38,200 tonnes in 2022, indicating a modest upward trend over the three-year period.

Greece exported approximately 2,212 tonnes of fresh or dried chestnuts in 2024, generating export revenue of US$6.96 million. Italy and Germany ranked among the main destinations.

Rising costs threaten growers’ incomes and the next generation

For growers in Paiko, the biggest concern is that prices have remained close to last year’s levels while production costs have risen significantly.

“Expenses have not remained at last year’s levels; they have increased considerably,” Vairli told AMNA, warning that growers’ net incomes would fall.

The two regions also report different experiences with the fungus that previously affected chestnut production. In Melivoia, growers have worked hard to control it. In Paiko, however, Vairli said producers had not detected the fungus either this year or in previous years.

“We are one of the few areas that can say that,” she said, describing Paiko’s chestnuts as being of excellent quality.

Yet quality alone may not persuade younger generations to continue cultivating chestnuts. Both regions face uncertainty over the future of the sector, as some farming families hope their children will take over while the financial and weather-related risks continue to grow.

“We do not know whether the children will want to continue under these conditions, with so much uncertainty, especially when everything depends on the weather,” Vairli said.