European Apples and Kiwis Stand Out in Israel for Safety and Freshness

Tel Aviv, European apples and kiwis continue to find favor among Israeli consumers, and the “Garden of Europe” campaign, co-funded by the European Union, is keeping that momentum going. After a successful first year centered around media partnerships and consumer education, the campaign remains focused on quality, safety, and origin.

In a market that values clean labels, transparent sourcing, and consistent quality, EU-grown apples and kiwis offer a strong advantage. Greece and Poland remain key players in this space — with Poland ranked among the top five global apple exporters, and Greece standing as the world’s third-largest exporter of kiwifruit, with more than 212,000 tons shipped in 2023.

Despite recent agricultural challenges in Greece — including extreme heat, historic forest fires, and devastating floods in 2023 — the country’s kiwifruit sector remains resilient. The Thessaly region, a key production area, was particularly affected, yet Greece still expects to harvest around 311,000 tonnes of kiwifruit for the 2023/24 season. This reinforces Greece’s status as the EU’s fourth-largest fruit producer and a rising force in global kiwifruit exports. 

In Poland, the 2024 apple harvest faced challenges due to late frosts, high humidity, and labor shortages. As a result, production is expected to fall to around 3.2 million tonnes, down 18% from 2023. While quality remains strong, the overall volume is lower. Nonetheless, Poland continues to be one of the world’s top apple exporters — and a key supplier to the Indian market.

For Israeli consumers, who are highly informed and quality-conscious, this emphasis on safety and traceability matters. The 2025 campaign will continue to share stories of how European fruits are grown — and why they are trusted across the world.

“Garden of Europe” is an EU co-funded campaign promoting European fruits (apples & kiwis) in the Indian market. 

The campaign’s beneficiaries are the Agricultural Cooperative of Neapoli from Greece and the Association of Polish Fruit and Vegetables Distributors “Fruit Union” from Poland. For more information, please visit www.appleandkiwi.eu.