Representatives from Spain’s fruit and vegetable sector will meet with government associations in Madrid this week to discuss the progress made in securing access new export markets.
Among the negotiations currently under way are thee opening of the Argentine market for peaches, nectarines and cherries; Chile for apples; Canada for tomatoes and cherries; India and Mexico for stonefruit; Peru for kaki and citrus and South Africa for mango and blueberries.
The produce industry and government are also believed to be pushing for the opening of Argentine, Mexico and Peru for the sale of seeds and nursery plants.
According to the latest customs data, Spain exported 231,781 tonnes of fruit and vegetables to non-EU countries between January and September, an increase of 14 per cent year-on-year, with a corresponding value of €309m.
These markets represented 5 per cent of overall exports during the same period, which stood at 9.8m tonnes and €9.961bn.
