Producers of stonefruit and apples in the northern Greek region assess damage after fruit trees take a battering from hailstorms
In northern Greece, crops have sustained major damage from hailstorms that hit Edessa, just west of Thessaloniki, this week.
Walnut-sized hailstones were reported to have lashed upper areas, destroying entire crops of cherries, peaches and apples for some growers.
Many crops in mountainous Pella were said to be “buried” in hail by Kosmas Papadopoulos, president of the Vegoritida “Voras” Agricultural Cooperative.
The weather hit the entire area of Vegoritida in Arnissa, Panagitsa, Zervi, Agios Athanasios, Xanthoia, as well as the villages of Kerasia, Karydia, Nissi and Korifi of the Municipality of Edessa, according to a report from AgroTypos.
Speaking to Fruitnet, George Kallitsis of Youphoria Fruits said several hailstorms had hit the area in recent days.
“The one that concerned us was on Tuesday afternoon (2 July), hitting the Pella villages like Kerasia, Karydia and Koryfi, mainly damaging cherry trees,” he said. “Our growers harvested on 4 July, so we are now passing the fruit through the sizer.”
Papadopoulos said damage appeared high for cherries, peaches and apples in the area. “We are waiting for [the Hellenic Agricultural Insurance Organisation] ELGA’s agronomists to make correct assessments of the damages and for fair compensation to be paid to producers whose crops were destroyed by hail.”
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