The value for the Spanish production for fruits and vegetables dropped 11% in 2011
The drop happened in three sub-sectors: fruits, vegetables and potatoes. The production value for vegetables dropped 18%, going from 8,138 million Euro in 2010 to 6,669 million Euro in 2011. The value for fruits, according to this advance, went from 6,542 million Euro to 6,442 million Euro, dropping 1.5%; and the production value for potatoes in 2011 was around the 505 million Euro, some 14% less than in 2010, when it reached the 589 million Euro.
The strong drop in value for the production of fruits and vegetables in Spain in 2011 is reflected also in exports and, according to FEPEX, it was due to three main factors: E. coli crisis, inefficiency of crisis management measures and imports from Morocco.
The negative behaviour of the sector will affect negatively the unemployment rates that are already above 30%, if the social and economic situation keeps on the producing areas.
Source: Fepex