In October, Spanish fruit and vegetable exports dropped by 3% in volume compared with the same month last year, to a total of 804,184 tonnes, while their value increased by 7%, reaching 724.2 million Euro, according to the Directorate General of Customs of the Tax Agency.
The decline in volumes exported in October was due to vegetables, which dropped by 11% to a total of 313,571 tonnes. The sharpest drops were registered by tomatoes and cucumbers, the main vegetables exported this month, with a 41% drop for tomatoes, with 34,328 tonnes, and 13% for cucumbers, with 59,535 tonnes. Tomatoes also recorded a drop in value, down 14%, to 42.8 million Euro.
Overall, the export value of vegetables in October, compared with October 2013, increased by 1.7%, reaching 255 million Euro.
As for fruit exports, they increased by 2% in volume, to a total of 490,613 tonnes, and by 11% in value, reaching 469 million Euro.
For the first ten months of 2014, exports increased by 3% in volume compared to the same period last year, to a total of 9.3 million tonnes, while value remained stable, with a slight 0.4% decrease, standing at 8,310 million Euro.
Vegetable exports during the same ten month period stood at 3.8 million tonnes (+4.5%) and 3,305 million Euro (-2%). Most noteworthy is the decline registered by the most exported vegetable, tomatoes, with an 8% drop in volume and 4% in value, totalling 724,377 tonnes and 741.7 million Euro.
Fruit exports amounted to 5.5 million tonnes (+1.6%) and 5,004 million Euro (+0.5%).