After the national transport strike - which will begin at the stroke of midnight next Sunday - was announced, the Valencian Community's fruit and vegetable companies are scrambling to reorganize the order and priority of the exports they'll make this week before the mobilization. November is one of the busiest months for Spanish fruit and vegetable exports, specifically, of persimmons and the early mandarin and orange varieties.
According to data from the Valencian Ministry of Industry and Trade, fruit exports in November of last year amounted to 549.7 million euro, i.e. 21% more than in November of 2020, while vegetable exports totaled 101.5 million euro, which is 32.4% more than in November 2020. 90% of Spanish fruit and vegetable exports are sent to the European market, and 94.1% of the volumes exported are transported by road. The truck is the main means of transport.
Corridors for export
After the National Platform in Defense of the Transport Sector announced the strike, FEPEX -the Federation of Association of Exporters of Fruits and Vegetables- has asked them to guarantee free transit and access to markets. Meanwhile, the Citrus Management Committee expressed its concern about the situation and asked the parties involved to take responsibility, adding that they hope the strike can be prevented.
In any case, the committee asks that an international corridor be respected to ensure the transit of fruit and vegetables, given the intensity of clementine and orange exports at this time of year.
Source: levante-emv.com