Andalusia achieved an all-time sales record and consolidated its position as the national leader in vegetable exports in the period from January to October 2023, invoicing a total of 3,181 million euro and a 4% year-on-year increase.
According to the reports of Andalusia TRADE (the Junta de Andalucía's Business Agency for the Transformation and Economic Development), Andalusia maintains its leadership in horticultural exports, concentrating 47% of all Spanish sales, 25 points ahead of the second-biggest exporter, the Region of Murcia (22.1%), with 1,495 million euro; and 34 points above the country's third-biggest exporter, the Valencian Community (13.2%), with 894 million euro.
Andalucía was able to achieve this new record thanks to the province of Almeria, which accounted for 80% of the community's exports between January and October 2023, with 2,546 million euro, accounting for 38% of the national total (6,756 million euro).
761 vegetable exporting companies in Andalusia are also responsible for the solid figures achieved in the first ten months of the year. 441 of these companies (i.e. 58% of the total) are regular exporters (four consecutive years exporting) and concentrate 92% of sales (2,917 million).
Top 10 most exported products
The record achieved in the first ten months of the year was driven by the increase in sales of six of the ten most exported products. Peppers led sales, with 811 million, a 25.5% share, and an 11.6% increase, the second-best increase among the Top 10. Peppers were followed by tomatoes -with 669 million, 21% of the total, and a 3.3% increase- and cucumbers and pickles, with 576 million, an 18.1% share, and a 3.4% increase. The fourth best-selling products were pumpkins and zucchini, with 288 million (9% of the total) and a 17.4% decrease. Lettuce ranked fifth, with 149 million (4.7%) and a 1.6% increase, followed by aubergines, with 137 million (4.3%) and a 9% increase.
Onions ranked seventh, with sales that totaled 129 million euro, a 4.1% share, and a 10% increase (the third-best increase among the products). Carrots ranked eighth with 93 million euro and an 80% increase in sales. The last positions were occupied by asparagus, with 66 million, a 2.1% share, and a 5.9% decrease in sales, and cooked vegetables, with sales that totaled 61 million euro and fell by 10.3%.
Main destinations
Europe is the top destination for Andalusia's horticultural exports, to the point that it concentrates 99% of its world sales. Germany was the first destination for Andalusian vegetables, with 1,129 million, 36% of the total, and a 9.6% increase of 9.6%. It was followed by France, with 414 million, 13% of the total, and a 6.6% decrease. The Netherlands ranked third with 665 million, an 11.5% share, and a 15.3% increase (the third-best increase in the Top 10). It is followed by the United Kingdom, with 332 million, a 10.4% share, and an 11% decrease; and Poland, with 151 million, a 4.7% share, and a 3.2% increase.
Source: La Tribuna de Andalucía
