Spanish fresh produce exports higher this August

Spain’s exports of fresh fruit and vegetables in the first eight months of this year were down 4.1% in volume but up 4.4% in value on the same period last year.

In total, the country exported 8.3 million tons of fresh fruit and vegetables over January-August for a value of just under €8.54 billion.

Vegetable exports increased 3.5% in volume to 3.6 million tons and and 5.6% in value to nearly €3.5 billion.

Fruit exports were down 9.2% in volume, to 4.7 million tons, but rose 3.6% in value to just over €5 billion.

Veg, stone fruit drove recovery in August

Compared to August last year, Spain’s exports of fresh fruit and vegetables this August were 11.7% higher in volume and 12% in value, totalling 768,993 tons and €665.6 million, according to Customs data analysed by Fepex.

Exports of vegetables in August this year were up 24.3% in volume, to 185,214 tons, and 26% in value to €174.4 million.

Fepex highlighted growth in the export volumes for the following produce lines:

• lettuce +174% to 25.093 tons,
• tomato +13% to 24,683 tons,
• potatoes +38% to 20,399 tons

Onions saw the highest volume in exports in August but the total came in at 37,984 tons, a drop of 12.8% on the previous August.

More melon exports, too

Spain’s fruit exports in August were up 8.3% in volume and 7.8% in value, at 583,779 tons for a value of €491.2 million.

Stone fruit stood out in particular:

• peaches +26% to 103,027 tons,
• nectarines +2% to 99,295 tons,
• plums +13% to 19,139 tons,
• apricots +102% to 13,728 tons.

Also noteworthy was the 10% growth in the volume of watermelon exported, to 127,724 tons, and of 11.4% in the case of other kinds of melon, to 92,658 tons.