Spanish fruit and vegetable exports fall by 4% in terms of volume, but value is up by 9%

Between January and October 2020, Spanish fresh fruit and vegetable exports stood at 10.3 million tons; 4% less than in the same period of 2019. However, their value reached 11,861 million Euro; 9% more than in the previous year, according to data from the Department of Customs and Special Taxes of the Spanish Tax Agency.

Vegetable sales to foreign markets fell slightly in that period, reaching 4.2 million tons (-1%) worth 4,776 million Euro (+6%). Peppers consolidate as Spain's most exported vegetable, with a positive development both in terms of volume, with 643 million tons (+3%) and value, with 914 million Euro (+6%). Lettuce and tomato are the second and the third most exported vegetables. In the case of lettuce, exports totaled 566 million tons (-1%) worth 530 million Euro (-2%), and in that of tomatoes they reached 551 million tons (-8%) worth 718 million Euro (-0.2%).

From January to October, fruit exports totaled 5.9 million tons (-7%) worth 7,085 million Euro (+11%). There have been declines in the volumes for most fruits and positive results in terms of value. In the case of berries, strawberry exports stood at 281,540 tons (-3%) worth 567 million Euro (-3%), while raspberry shipments reached 46,706 tons (-18%) worth 338 million Euro (-4%).

In the month of October, exports grew by 3% in terms of volume compared to the same month of 2019, totaling 929,553 tons, and by 21% in terms of value, reaching 1,084 million Euro. There has been a recovery in the volume of exports, which have recorded positive figures after six months of negative ones. Worthy of note is the growth of lettuce, with 48,526 tons (+41%); cabbages, with 14,659 tons (+18%); eggplant, with 19,331 tons (+16%) and peppers, with 64,275 tons (+8%), while tomatoes, with 32,574 tons, recorded an 8% drop in that month.

Fruit exports in October grew by 3% in terms of volume compared to October 2019, totaling 531,284 tons, and by 17% in terms of value, reaching 661.3 million Euro. The most noteworthy is the growth of table grapes, with 42,322 tons (+39%) worth 94.5 million Euro (+54%), according to data from the Customs and Special Taxes Department of the Tax Agency, processed by FEPEX.