Exploratory Mission on Chestnuts in Greece, Albania, and Kosovo

Exploratory Mission on Chestnuts in Greece, Albania, and Kosovo

Interco Nouvelle-Aquitaine coordinated the exploratory mission on chestnuts in Greece, Albania, and Kosovo. A delegation of 12 participants from France, Austria, Spain, Greece, Kosovo, and Albania followed an intense and interesting program to explore the chestnut sector in the three countries from Monday, April 29, to Sunday, May 5, 2024.

Some highlights of the mission:

-Meeting with the mayor of Agia, Greece, Mr. Antonis Gkountaras

-Visits to orchards, nurseries, and meetings with local producers in the three countries

-Visit to the Melivia chestnut cooperative and a brewery that produces chestnut beer from Melivia chestnuts.

-Meetings to prepare for the next edition of the “European Chestnut Days” in September in Greece.

Mission in collaboration with our partners in Greece, Albania, and Kosovo.

Next European Chestnut Days

Greece, with the municipality of AGIA and the Melivia cooperative (700 tons of chestnuts collected in the Thessaly region in the mountain range with a potential of 3,000 tons) will organize the meetings from September 12 to 15, 2024: conferences and technical visits.

Greece has an estimated chestnut production potential of 17,500 tons. This potential is reduced by:

– Successive summer droughts

– Cynips

The widespread release of Torymus sinensis since 2018 has already shown positive results. Although the gall wasp population is declining, it still has an impact on national yields.

– Ink disease

The use of potassium phosphite against ink diseases is increasing across the country, reducing tree loss.

– Rot

The Melivia cooperative had to discard 700 tons of chestnuts due to rot.