Spanish exporter federation Fepex has asked EU agriculture commissioner Phil Hogan to extend the exceptional measures for crisis management for fruit and vegetable producers following Russia’s decision to extend its ban on EU agricultural imports. The current measures are due to expire on 30 June.
In a letter to the commissioner, the association said it regrets and condemns Russia’s decision to extend its veto by one year until June 2016. “The ban, which came into force in August 2014, has deprived the Spanish fruit and vegetable sector of its biggest non-EU export market and there are no alternative markets that can compensate for this loss,” Fepex said.
Exports of fruits and vegetables to non-EU countries fell by 17 per cent in the first quarter of 2015 compared with the year-earlier period to 218m tonnes, according to data from the customs authority.
Fepex said the extension of the ban would aggravate the serious crisis affecting European summer fruit producers due to the market being unable to absorb the excess output.
A number of grower-exporters spoke out in condemnation of Russia’s decision.
“It comes at a critical point in the summer fruit season and represents a major setback for the industry as a whole, endangering thousands of families throughout Spain,” Gruventa director Fermín Sánchez Navarro said.
Calling on the European Commission to stand up to Russia’s “commercial blackmail” he said the authorities should “fight tooth and nail against this absurd and illogical embargo”.
In spite of the fall in shipments to no-EU markets, Spain’s total fruit and vegetable exports increased by 8 per cent in volume and 11 per cent in value between January and April compared to the same period last year, reaching 4.8m tonnes and €4.632bn respectively.
Vegetable export volume rose 1.6 per cent to 2.3m tonnes and by 9 per cent in value to €2.534bn, while fruit shipments were up 15 per cent in volume to 2.4m tonnes and 14.5 per cent in value to €2.277bn.
Fepex said the increase was partly due to higher consumption in key EU markets such as the UK and France.
