Murcia’s fresh produce exporters put in a solid performance last season in spite of challenging climatic conditions, according to new figures released by regional exporter association Proexport.
The region exported €2.457bn of fruits and vegetables between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016, an increase of 4.8 per cent. The rise came in spite of a 6.7 per cent fall in export volume, which ended at 2.446m tonnes.
According to Proexport director Fernando Gómez, “the figures show an improvement in profitability, albeit at the expense of a fall in export volumes in what turned out to be a difficult season in which climatic factors led to highly erratic production patterns.”
Gómez noted that the biggest concerns facing the industry this season were the ongoing severe water shortage and the impact of Brexit on the regional economy, given that the UK is Murcia’s second biggest market.
However, Gómez was more upbeat about the possible implications of Trump’s election victory in the US on Murcian exports to that market, predicting that the president elect’s stance on trade would soften when he reaches the White House: “The US is not accustomed to shooting itself in the foot when it eyes new opportunities for trade,” he told La Opinión.
