Greek farmers look at their chestnut trees with horror. At this time of year, the nuts are usually ripe and ready for harvest, but due to the exceptionally hot summer and long drought, the chestnuts are still hanging on the trees. According to estimates, this year's harvest may be as much as half as large.
Greece is one of the world's largest producers of edible chestnuts, with an annual harvest of approximately 32,000 tons. However, this year the country is experiencing one of the biggest crises in years.
As a result of an unusually warm winter and a hot, dry summer, Greek farmers are reporting huge losses in their crops. When the chestnuts should be ready for harvest, most of them are still unripe and hanging on the trees.
– I don't remember this happening before – says Anestes Altinis, whose harvest this year is only 40-50 tons and is as much as 90 percent smaller than in previous years.
A blow to the economy
According to the calculations of Professor George Nanos, an expert in horticulture at the University of Thessaly, this year's chestnut harvest may be as much as half as much as the average over the last ten years.
– We have many dead or damaged trees with a very low harvest – emphasizes the specialist.
The crisis caused by extreme weather conditions is affecting producers across the country. In Thessaly, a region responsible for 25 percent of Greek agricultural production, a 13-month period of rainfall was recorded. It happened after the transition storm Daniel in 2023, which destroyed many chestnut trees.
The effects of ongoing climate change are affecting the Greek economy, which relies heavily on agricultural production.
Experts have no illusions that the crisis in Greek agriculture will have a negative impact on the prices of products in stores. Not only nuts may be more expensive, but also fruit, the cultivation of which has also suffered greatly this year.
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