Spanish horticultural exports grow in amount but drop in value

Spanish export of fruits an vegetables in November 2011 increased 6% in volume regarding the same month of 2010 and had a 7% drop in value, adding up to 1.1 million tons and 872million Euro respectively, reflecting a strong drop in average prices by 13%, according to fresh data from the Border Control General Direction.

Vegetable exports in November grew 23% in volume, adding up to 503 million kg, highlighting an increase in cucumber (+39%) and pepper (+28%). Although the value was reduced by 3.5%, to stay at 373.5 million Euro. The average price for exported vegetables in November dropped by 21.6% to around 0.74Euro per kilo.

Fruit exports was 645.981 tons, 4% less than in the same month of 2010 and the value was 498,6 million Euro, some 10% less. The average price for the exported fruit in November was of 0.77 Euro per kilo, some 6.4% less than in the same month of 2010.

Cumulative from January to November, Spanish exports of fruit and vegetables was of 9.1million tons (+11%), from which 3.7 million are of vegetables (+14%) and 5.4 million tons of fruits (+10%).

Export value in the first 11 months of 2011 was on 7.549 million Euro (-0.6%), from which 3,050 million Euro corresponds to vegetables (-4%) and 4.4 million Euro to fruits (+1.7%).

According to FEPEX, export data in November is in line with September and October, with a behaviour marked by low prices, reflecting that market crisis are more and more frequent and serious. Due to this, FEPEX considers establishing efficient measures to manage market crisis, allowing the management offer and to keep the sector's profitability a priority which he passed on to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment - .

Source: Fepex