Greek fur trade industry snuffed out in the aftermath of Russia-Ukraine war
A fur factory in Greece
Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, there has been collateral damage, shared not only by the two countries involved but others too. One such country is Greece and its dying fur trade industry.
Reportedly, the fur trade industry of Greece, especially in the Kastoria region is staring at a bleak future, Ever since the war broke out, Russia and its tourists, which used to be the biggest market of fur have disappeared entirely. Trying to open new markets is an uphill task and time is not by the side of fur traders.
According to figures for 2015 from the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food, there used to be 123 fur farms in Greece which rose to 131 in 2018. However, since then, there has been a dramatic drop and only 92 mink farms operated in 2020. The numbers are expected to have dwindled rapidly in the last five months after the war broke out in February.
According to data received, fur garments are among Greece's top 10 exports to the world market. To Russia alone, the export figure amounted to 14 million euros last year. A year before that, it was around the 55 mn euros mark.
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There are over 2,000 family-run businesses involved in the fur trade, employing around 4,000 Greeks. With heavy sanctions imposed on Russia, the Greece fur sellers cannot find any avenue to ship their goods, which often take thousands of euros to furnish.Safe to say, the industry has been snuffed out in the aftermath of a war.
To protect the family-run businesses from going bankrupt, the government has allowed them to suspend over 80 per cent of their staff, who will receive state benefits till September. However, despite the best intentions of the government, the fur traders are beginning to resign themselves to the reality of the situation. And that, the business is about to end.
(With inputs from agencies)
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