The role of wholesale and retail markets in the supply chain for fresh fruits and vegetables in Greece

Greece, being an acknowledged producer of fresh fruits and vegetables, produces 1.582 million tons. Particularly, year 2024 ended with an increase for another year of Greek fresh fruit and vegetable exports by 8.2% and will exceed 1.861 billion euros. This effort for higher quality production is very vital later than assistance all the stakeholders in the fresh supply chain. Specifically, the wholesalers ought to develop excellent cooperation with producers and retailers, as long as they want to satisfy the necessary standards of consumers’ preferences. For this reason, through this research we aim to record these mechanisms cooperation, which lead all stakeholders to coexist in fresh supply chain fruits and vegetables. for better post-harvest management to final agricultural products. Moreover, the empirical analysis of wholesale and retail markets with statistical data, it has purpose to propose a particular food policy that should reinforce national effort for special agricultural marketing system on Greek fresh production. The pilot research was based on qualitative research with market experts of wholesale and retail markets all around Greece, and we go on with quantitative research via two different questionnaires on these different markets. The results indicated that so independent producers as members of agricultural cooperatives are inextricably linked with wholesale and retail markets. Finally, we attempted to examine through empirical analysis to these markets, if there is an extended regulatory role of Greek agricultural cooperatives.