Feta becomes more expensive: New price at 15-16 euros per kilo

A new wave of feta price increases is looming as limited milk availability meets increased demand from international markets. The price of the product is expected to move to even higher levels in the coming weeks, according to estimates by Michalis Sarantis, chairman of the National Interprofessional Feta Organization. Speaking at the conference of the Pan-Hellenic Exporters Association, Mr Sarantis estimated that the price could reach 15-16 euros per kilo, from approximately 12-13 euros currently, noting that price increases have already begun in the market and are expected to continue in the coming weeks.

According to the chairman of the Interprofessional, the main factor behind the development is the rise in raw material costs, as milk production in the country has been significantly curtailed in recent months. As he explained, approximately 600,000 animals have been lost, a development mainly linked to the widespread culling of sheep due to foot-and-mouth disease, resulting in the country’s sheep population falling below 8 million. Along with reduced raw material availability, demand from international markets continues to strengthen, with feta exports recording an increase of approximately 7%, while stocks of Greek dairy manufacturers remain at particularly low levels.

This development translates into additional burden for households, given that feta remains a basic product of the Greek food basket. As Mr Sarantis noted, the rise in prices has already led some consumers to turn to white cheese, as a more economical alternative to feta. The feta price increase is added to a broader picture of pressure on the cost of living, with households seeking ways to limit spending at the supermarket, amid a generally difficult economic situation for the food market in the country.

For the restoration of livestock and the return of milk production to pre-crisis levels, the chairman of the Interprofessional estimated that approximately another two years will be needed, a fact suggesting that feta’s high prices are not expected to abate soon. In the broader dairy sector, the picture is more mixed: Greek yogurt is recording strong export growth, with overseas sales having increased by 110% over the past three years and 38% alone in 2025, according to SEVGAP chairman Christos Apostolopoulos. Pressures are recorded instead in olive oil and table olives, sectors that, according to sector representatives, face increased competition in international markets and a sharp rise in their transport costs in recent months.