Spain’s Murcia region, arguably the country’s leading fruit and vegetable production zone, experienced a 13 per cent rise in export earnings last year, despite significant decreases in volumes for several major products, including tomatoes.
Exports from the south-eastern region received over €1.6bn for their fresh produce exports during 2010, in spite of a 3.8 per cent year-on-year fall in export volumes to 1.8m tonnes.
In particular, tomato export volumes dropped by 28 per cent, decreasing from 89,414 tonnes in 2009 to 124,991 tonnes last year, continuing a long-term trend towards a reduction in tomato production in the region.
While the volume of lettuce exports also dropped slightly, by 1 per cent to 432,462 tonnes, the value of these shipments increased significantly compared with 2009, rising by 26 per cent to €405m.
Murcian exporters also experienced a similar trend in fruit shipments. Melon exports remained steady in volume terms at 168,801 tonnes, but their value increased by 25 per cent to €105m.
Watermelon exports increased significantly as a whole, with volumes up by 58 per cent year-on-year to 121,868 tonnes and export earnings rising by 85 per cent to €46m.
However, lemon shipments dropped by 21 per cent in volume (to 250,120 tonnes) and 3 per cent in value (to €189m) compared with the year before.
Although he said that the figures demonstrated an improved profitability for growers in Murcia, Juan Marín, president of regional exporter association Proexport emphasised the need for the Spanish authorities to maintain financial support for the sector to ensure it continued to generate wealth by improving its competitiveness.
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