Deformed plums were brought “to light” for the first time by the weekly recording made on 27/8, with the areas where the phenomenon for this particular fruit is found, amounting to a total of eight acres in Imathia and Pella. The vice-president of the National Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (ETHEAS) and president of the National Interprofessional Organization of Pyrinokarpo (EDOP), Christos Giannakakis, expressed concern about the development in his statements to APE-MPE, noting that the registration process started “running” at the initiative of EDOP from mid-June.

Based on the data from 27/8, the acres where deformed peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums are found are recorded increased by 32.89%, compared to a week ago, with the producers who have already made the relevant signed declaration to reach 879, from 640 on 20/8, while the affected areas now reach seven, from six.

Specifically, on 8/27, the number of acres in Imathia, Thessaloniki, Kilkis, Larissa, Pella, Pieria and Florina with deformed stone fruits was 14,053.6 acres, while on 8/20 it was 10,574.9 acres.

As Mr. Giannakakis clarified from the recording that is done on a weekly basis, on 20/8 the Regional Unit of Florina was absent, in which a grower identified and declared the detection of deformed peaches in two plots of land with a total area of ​​11.4 hectares.

The biggest problem with deformed stone fruit continues to be found in Pella, where 640 growers have reported a total of 11,172.6 acres of deformed peaches, nectarines and apricots, from 478 growers and 8,651 acres as of 8/20.

In Imathia, 221 growers reported 2,649.1 acres of deformed peaches, nectarines and apricots (148 and 1,734.4 acres on 20/8), in Thessaloniki 5 producers found the same phenomenon on 41.9 acres (3 and 25.5 acres on 20/8) and 9 in Kilkis on 140 acres (8 on 125.4 acres on 20/8).

The situation with the detected deformed stone fruits in Larissa and Pieria remained unchanged, with the figures on 27/8 as a week earlier, at 2 producers and 34.1 hectares and one at 4.5 hectares respectively.

Expressing his anxiety about the widespread image of the deformation phenomenon, but also its extension to other fruits, beyond peaches and nectarines where it was initially detected, Mr. Giannakakis underlined that the most recent record intensifies the concern of everyone in the chain of the sector of the kernels of what is to come.

He pointed out that “everything shows that it is a combination of viruses that attacks and deforms the stone fruits”, hoping that the scientists of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) will find the cause of the phenomenon in time, so that the authorities can take the necessary actions for the dealing with it. He emphasized, however, that public health is not threatened by the phenomenon of deformation.

Until 2/9 the declarations

With its recent announcement, the National Interprofessional Organization of Stone Fruits invited all producers of peaches, nectarines and apricots to proceed with the declarations of fruit deformation until September 2. “The aforementioned date is final and final, since our goal is to provide the necessary evidence in time and thus to launch the process of paying the required compensations through European funds”, Mr. Giannakakis emphasized.

It is recalled that stone fruit producers who find a problem with fruit deformation must make a declaration through the electronic platform created for this purpose by the National Interprofessional Stone Fruit Organization. Declarations are made through the KYD, where each producer has submitted the 2023 IASC declaration.

State inspections of already declared affected farms are expected to begin immediately, however the planning of the planned actions requires the completion of the declaration process.

At the moment, the instructions of the Benakei Phytopathological Institute are still valid, according to which the affected fruits should not be harvested and should remain in the field.

The history of the offense

The phenomenon of attack and deformation of peaches and nectarines first appeared in 2021 in a 10-acre plot of land in the Pella Vineyards. However, within three years it spread alarmingly, since while it was initially estimated that a total of 5,000 acres in Pella and Imathia had been affected, finally, as Mr. Giannakakis noted, “the figure of 14,053.6 acres also concerns other areas besides the two of the aforementioned, categorically refutes us and strongly concerns us, both us producers and processors, as well as all those involved in the stone fruit industry”.

The “mystery” of the deformation of peaches, nectarines, apricots and now damasks, scientists of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki are trying to solve, in order to find out through analyzes if the phenomenon is viral. The relevant, six-month, programming contract of the AUTH with the Union of Canners of Greece (EKE) was signed in June.