Fruitimprese: Latest data on Italian fruit and vegetable trade

According to the latest data compiled by the Association of Italian fruit and vegetable companies FruitImprese, the balance of foreign trade in fruit and vegetables in Italy appears quite positive. During the first six months of 2012 there has been a slight increase in export flows of fruit and vegetables against which, however, there has been a decline in value. The balance is of approximately 395 million Euro, a 27.1% increase over the same period of 2011.

Overall, from January to June 2012, Italy exported 1 million 970 thousand tons of fruits and vegetables (+0.5%) for a value of 1.824 billion Euro (-4.4%). Increasing flows were recorded for exported vegetables (+0.4%), fresh fruit (+4.4%) and dried fruit (+4.9%); decreasing in citrus fruits (-11.1%). In terms of value, there was a negative sign for all sectors except for dried fruit which recorded a 21.9% increase.

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As for imports, Italy imported about 1,740 million of tons of fruit and vegetables (-3.6%) for a total of 1.430 million Euro (-13.4%). Among individual sectors, there is an increase in volume only for citrus fruit (+27.8%); for all others, however, the trend is negative. Vegetables (-0.1%), fresh fruit (-17.6%), dried fruit (-18.5%) and tropical fruit (-8.7%). In terms of value the sign is negative for all sectors, with the exception of citrus fruit (+21.4%).