The European Union imported more fresh fruit and vegetables from third countries during the opening four months of 2016, according to Eurostat data processed and published by Spanish body Fepex.
Imports climbed 7 per cent in both volume and value terms when compared to the same period of the 2015, up to 2.9m tonnes and €3bn respectively.
EU banana imports from third countries stood at 1.4m tonnes, up 6 per cent on the previous year, with a 4 per cent growth in value to €901.6m.
Citrus imports came in at 440,770 tonnes, up 16 per cent, for a value of €330.7m (+10 per cent), and pineapples enjoyed volume and value growth of 15 per cent and 27 per cent respectively to 398,134 tonnes and €554.8m.
Table grape imports, however, fell back in both volume and value, down 7 per cent in the former to 294,495 tonnes and 2 per cent in the latter to €597.2m.
Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador are the main third country suppliers of fruit to the EU, bringing in 472,597 tonnes (+ 10 per cent), 399,326 tonnes (+ 12 per cent) and 397,968 tonnes (- 4 per cent) respectively.
