April sees Spanish export volume and value increase

Spain’s fresh fruit and vegetable exports grew in both volume and value terms in April, when compared with the same month of 2023.

Exports climbed 14 per cent in volume to 1.1m tonnes and 10 per cent in value to €1.78bn, according to data from the Customs Department and Special Taxes, processed by Fepex.

Vegetable exports stood at 573,707 tonnes, 8 per cent higher than the previous year, with value up 2 per cent to €814.6m.

Sales of lettuce stood at 94,953 tonnes (down 5 per cent) and €116m (down 4 per cent); tomatoes totalled 81,392 tonnes (up 19 per cent) and €119m (down 17 per cent); and cabbages reached 73,846 tonnes (up 12 per cent) and €106m (up 11 per cent).

Fruit exports “grew strongly” in April compared to the same month of 2023, Fepex said, reaching 537,434 tonnes (up 21 per cent) in volume and €965m euros (up 17 per cent).

Of the leading categories, strawberry exports dropped by 7 per cent in volume to 81,610 tonnes, but grew in value by 9 per cent to €219m.

Watermelon exports grew the most in April, soaring 55 per cent in volume and 31 per cent in value to 41,198 tonnes and €38m respectively.

Blueberries also registered a positive performance, Fepex noted, with exports of 23,860 tonnes (up 24 per cent) and €148m (up 12 per cent).

For the January-April period combined, foreign sales of fresh fruits and vegetables stood at 4.5m tonnes, year-on-year growth of 6.4 per cent, for a value of just over €7bn, up 0.5 per cent.