Over the past 15 years, imports increased by 49% while exports increased by 71%. What is worrying is the constant decrease of the areas dedicated to fruit cultivation - from 498,407 to 396,585 hectares (-20%). Only citrus fruit and table grapes increased (+13% and +14% respectively).
Imported walnuts
For what concerns the single regions, we can see how, in 2000, Trentino Alto Adige had a positive balance between imports and exports equal to €104 million, increased to €552 million in 2015. Sicily also did well, as the positive balance went from 109 million to 261.
Orchards dropped by 20% in 15 years
There was a slight increase in employees (+0.66%), who went from 425,730 to 428,575. However, the number of entrepreneurs dropped by 29.42% - from 587,011 in 2000 to 414,314 fifteen years later. It must be said, though, that a lot of shell companies were eliminated. Confagricoltura processed Istat data.