50% of the meat sold at the moment is pork
Orders placed in butcher shops in the run-up to the Christmas holidays are down by up to 15%, compared to last year’s corresponding period, according to the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Butcher Shopkeepers, Savva Kesidis, who, speaking to APE, points out that “today as we speak there is sufficiency, but tomorrow no one will be able to guarantee it”.
In this context and given that Greek consumers remain – albeit in a smaller percentage – last minute consumers, Mr. Kesidis invites them to make their purchases until next Saturday, December 21, “so as to ensure the excellent quality of meat available from butchers in Greece, but also to ensure that they will find exactly what they want for the Christmas table” .
According to him, 50% of the turnover in the country’s butchers in the run-up to the Christmas celebration concerns pork purchases. “Traditionally, the “king” of the festive table in Greece is pork, followed closely by poultry and then lamb/goat and beef,” points out Mr. Kesidis. As far as turkeys are concerned, he notes that there are some sales, “but not great things”, as he typically says and explains that “its consumption is not in keeping with the tradition that the Greeks keep during the Christmas and New Year holidays New Year’s Day”.
Regarding prices this year, the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Butchers (with approximately 12,000 butchers nationwide), reports that they are at last year’s levels for pork and poultry, while turkey is more expensive than during the Christmas holidays 2023 in a range from 0.50 euro/kg up to one euro/kg. Regarding the price of amnoerifis, he notes that “today as we speak, their price remains at last year’s levels, but I don’t know what will happen tomorrow and if we will have enough, since I hear that their exports continue and even with an upward trend”.
For the price of beef, Mr. Kesidis said: “Since the European Ministers of Agriculture decided that cattle are burdening the climate with methane, their production has decreased by 30%, on the contrary their costs remain on an upward trajectory and today we are talking at +15%-17 % compared to the corresponding period last year”. He, hastening to note that “the law of supply and demand remains”, he clarifies that if the agreement with the Mercosur countries is finally signed, “only then will we see the price of beef stabilize or even fall”.
According to Mr. Kesidis, in the last three years, more than 350 butchers nationwide have taken down rolls – due to accuracy and retirement. However, he thanks the consumer public for returning to traditional butchers, since as it appears from official surveys, “62% to 67% of Greek butchers prefer traditional butchers and not chains for their meat purchases”. As he characteristically notes, “we may have “blooded” for building trust with the consumer public, but we are recognized for our persistence, patience and consistency in high quality”.
“Antigift” to consumers with gift certificates
In the meantime, a draw to be held on January 13 will select the lucky consumers who will receive gift vouchers with a total value of more than 7,000 euros and a host of other gifts, with the butchers thus “returning” part of the profits of the holiday season to their customers . For every ten euros of purchases, the consumer gets a lottery ticket, says Mr. Kesidis and announces that the grand prize will be a large grill, worth more than 600 euros.
