In January, the Spanish export of fresh fruits and vegetables grew by 2.7% compared to the same month of 2017, totalling 1.24 million tonnes. Meanwhile, the value dropped by 7%, reaching 1,287 million Euro, according to the latest data supplied by the General Directorate of Customs.
Vegetable exports in January 2018 stood at 655.594 tonnes; 12.8% more than in January 2017, and their value reached 692 million Euro (-13.1%). The most noteworthy products were tomatoes, with 123.989 tonnes (+15%) worth 147 million Euro (-2%), and lettuce, with 104,069 tonnes (+25%) worth 85.1 million Euro (-16%).
Fruit sales abroad totalled 590,733 tonnes (-6.5%) worth 595.6 million Euro (+1.1%), with citrus as the most exported fruits and kakis behind at a great distance, with 19,248 tonnes (-35%) worth 19.4 million Euro (-24.5%). Next in the ranking are strawberries, with 13,073 tonnes (+21%) worth 38.9 million Euro (+20%).
For FEPEX, both the volume growth and the drop in the value of exports in January this year, especially in the case of vegetables (for which the volume has increased by 12.8% and the value has fallen by 13%), is attributable to the weather in January 2017, when adverse conditions caused a considerable fall in the vegetable production across Europe, accompanied by sharp price increases. In January 2017, exports fell by 7% in terms of volume and their value was 16.5% higher, totalling 1.21 million tonnes and 1,385 million Euro. Added to this factor is the strong pressure of imports on the EU market, despite the low prices. For this reason, FEPEX considers it a priority to apply urgent measures to improve competitiveness, following the model used by other EU producer countries.
Ignoring the atypical results of January 2017, the behaviour of exports in January 2018 follows the line of previous years, with slight growth or volume stabilization. In January 2013, fruit and vegetable shipments stood at 1.29 million tonnes; in the same month of 2014, this figure reached 1.30 million tonnes; in 2015, it dropped slightly to 1.28 million tonnes, and in 2016, it grew to 1.32 million tonnes, with also very stable figures in terms of value every year.