Greek Fig: Big in the Middle East and Making Big Moves in Asia

Greece is one of the major fig producers in Europe. The Greek fig season lasts from July to October, although exact months vary depending on the variety of figs. Black figs are available from early August to mid-November, green figs from late July to early September, and red figs from mid-August to mid-October.

In 2018, the production volume in Greece was significantly lower than the average production volume of around 12K tons. Due to poor weather conditions during the production months, only around 9.5K tons of figs were produced in 2018. In 2019, production is expected to increase by 37% to 12.9K tons. The production of figs depends on weather conditions, fertilization process, and treatment of the fig trees. In the 2019 season, according to Symphonia Ltd., a Greek fresh fig exporter, the fertilization process was not as successful due to heavy wind and rain during the fertilization period. The company expects the production volume to be between 10% and 15% lower this season. Figs are fertilized when female wasps crawl into unripe figs, which contain unfertilized flowers, to lay their eggs and carry the pollen from fig to fig, pollinating the flowers and producing fig seeds. 

The company exports three varieties of figs: black, green, and red figs. The black and green Greek figs are Markopoulou Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and they are the company’s top sellers. Red fig is a new variety, and sales are picking up gradually. The green figs are sweeter than the black and red figs, and the black figs have bigger calibers than the green and red figs.

Figs are very popular in the Middle East as they have become a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine. As such, the main target markets for Symphonia Ltd. are Middle Eastern countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. In 2018, Kuwait, Qatar, and UAE accounted for 63%, 25%, and 12% of the company’s total exports.

Greece’s main competitor in the target markets is Turkey. Turkey is both the largest producer and exporter of figs in the world. Also, due to the devaluation of Turkish Lira, the prices of Turkish figs have decreased for foreign importers. The company competes with Turkish figs with taste, packaging, and seasonality. “Packaging is simple but fancier than the Turkish packaging, and the Greek figs are sweeter,” states Athanasios Kavoukas from Symphonia Ltd. In addition, due to the slight difference in each country’s seasonality, Greek figs are on the market for a longer period than Turkish figs. Turkish fig season usually starts 2-3 weeks earlier than Greek season and ends around a month earlier, which gives the Greek figs a window of opportunity to serve the market without any competition from Turkish figs.

Since 2018, Symphonia Ltd. has started marketing its figs to Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. The company has an optimistic view of the upcoming seasons as the new contacts established in Asia can help increase sales. Although figs are not considered staple fruits in Asia, the Asian market is being driven by the increasing awareness among the consumers about the health benefits associated with figs.