The Spanish import of fruits and vegetables increased by 2% in volume and 9% in value in the first quarter of 2015, reaching 631,529 tonnes and 456.4 million Euro, mostly due to the growth of fruit, with a 3% increase in volume and 14% in value, reaching 282,427 tonnes and 286.5 million Euro, respectively, according to data published by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and processed by FEPEX.
The most noteworthy increases for fruit are those of kiwis, with 29,264 tonnes (+16%), pears, with 14,426 tonnes (+43%), mangoes, with 10,277 tonnes (+36%) and avocados, with 5,964 tonnes (+17%).
By contrast, drops were registered with bananas, with 54,213 tonnes (-8%) worth 37.1 million Euro (+9%) and apples, with 48,828 tonnes (-3%) worth 33.7 million (-18%).
The import of vegetables between January and March 2015 amounted to 349,102 tonnes, 1% more than in the first quarter of 2014, and 169.8 million Euro (+1%). The most imported vegetables are potatoes, with 240,193 tonnes (+1%) and 42.8 million Euro (-37%) and green beans, with 27,812 tonnes (-9%) and 49.7 million Euro (+23,5%).
Potatoes remain Spain's most imported vegetable in terms of volume, but in terms of value green beans are the most important, recording an average growth rate of 36%, with Morocco as the country's main supplier. Of the 27,812 tonnes of green beans imported by Spain in the first quarter of 2015, a total of 27,470 tonnes came from Morocco.
Also noteworthy in this period is the strong growth of tomato imports, with 12,919 tonnes (+94%) and EUR 11.6 million (+155%). The average price of imported tomatoes from Morocco grew by 31.5%, and, as in the case of green beans, Morocco is Spain's main supplier, with 10,178 tonnes, 79% of the country's total imports.