While there are no national data on spinach, the growing popularity of this vegetable in Poland has led to a great increase in imports. In 2011, Poles imported 6.7 thousand tonnes of frozen spinach and in 2013 this figure increased to 10.4 thousand tonnes, mainly from Belgium, the Netherlands and France. Fresh spinach is mainly exported to Poland by Spain (1.1 thousand tonnes last year, compared to the 0.4 thousand tonnes of 2011).
Polish exports are also on the rise, although still at a very low level. Last year, the country shipped 91 tonnes of fresh spinach and 3 thousand tonnes of frozen spinach, especially to Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.
Thomas Meller, CEO of Nordisu, affirms that until recently, only chopped spinach was mostly available in Polish stores. Now other forms, in leaves or with sauce, are increasingly available. Poles every year purchase nearly 7.5 thousand tonnes of spinach in stores, without taking into account mixed vegetables and spinach in ready meals and that sold in fresh produce markets.
Beata Łosiak, spokesperson of Hortex, states that her company has registered double-digit increases in the sale of spinach leaves, as well as of royal soup, where spinach is an important ingredient.
Source: portalspozywczy.pl
