Germany: worldwide 2nd market fresh fruit and vegetables

Germany is an important market for fresh fruit and vegetables. Quantity-wise, Germany was the second-largest in 2014 at 8.1 million tonnes, after the United States. Germany took the second place from Russia, whose import was less than 8 million tonnes in 2014 due to the boycott. After Spain, the Netherlands is the most important (foreign) supplier to Germany. An estimated 1.2 million tonnes in Dutch produce went to Germany last year, as well as 0.9 million tonnes of re-exported produce. Together, those account for about a quarter of the total German import. The German market, in turn, accounts for a third of the Dutch (re-)export of fresh fruit and vegetables.

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High domestic production; especially open-field vegetables
Germany also has a high own production, particularly when it comes to open-field vegetables, at 3.5 million tonnes. German fruit production, especially apples, is also high at over 1 million tonnes. Three vegetables dominate production, quantity-wise. Carrots are the biggest German vegetable product, with a harvest exceeding 600,000 tonnes for the first time in 2014. Onions are the second-biggest, at 500,000 tonnes, while 480,000 tonnes of white cabbage was harvested last year. In terms of acreage, asparagus is by far the biggest German vegetable product, and German asparagus production is expected to grow further in the coming years. The gherkin harvest was also large in 2014, by the way: 200,000 tonnes. The question is how much of a future that product will have though. With the advent of the German minimum wage, growers fear it will face a tough time in Germany. Finally, the strawberry production is recovering: 160,000 tonnes open field cultivation in 2014.

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Spain: less citrus but more vegetables and other fruit
Spain is by far the most important supplier to Germany, with a volume of around 2.5 million tonnes in 2014. Germany accounts for a quarter of the total Spanish fruit and vegetable export. Remarkably, the import of citrus from Spain was smaller than before in 2014, although a record amount of Spanish fresh vegetables was imported in Germany, exceeding one million tonnes for the first time. The import of fruit other than citrus also reached a new high in 2014.

The Netherlands strongly dependent on German market: a third of total export. The German market is vital to Dutch export. In 2014, a total of 2.1 million tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables was supplied to Germany. Annually, the value of Dutch fresh fruit and veg export to Germany amounts to about 3 billion euros. The top sellers on the German market are the three main greenhouse vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers respectively. The range of products (re-)exported to Germany is very broad, and includes carrots, grapes, apples, pineapple, onions, mangoes, pears, oranges, melons and grapefruits.

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Fruit & Vegetable Facts
Jan Kees Boon
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www.fruitandvegetablefacts.com
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