Kathmandu, Dec. 9 -- With the strawberry season underway in Greece, Ganesh Thapa from Butwal is busy planting seedlings in Lappa village, a three-hour drive from Athens. He works alongside 32 Nepali agricultural workers, including seven women.

"Strawberry season runs from September to June. Right now, we are planting, harvesting, and sending fruit to market," Thapa told the Post over the phone.

Manolada and nearby villages produce around 90 percent of Greece's strawberries, employing at least 4,000, mostly undocumented Nepali workers.

Former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou dubbed strawberries 'red gold', reflecting their value in an industry that earns millions of euros annually. Nearly all Greek strawberries are exported, with ...