Fepex says that imports increased in both volume and value, continuing the trend seen in recent years
Spanish fresh fruit and vegetable imports increased by 7 per cent in volume and 15 per cent in value last year,
According to figures from the Customs and Excise Department of the Tax Agency, processed by Fepex, import volume climbed to 3.8m tonnes and value rose to €3.76bn in 2022.
Vegetable imports saw the highest growth, up 14 per cent in volume to 1.8m tonnes, while value soared 32 per cent to just over €1.17bn.
This was driven in part by the 20 per cent jump in potato imports, up to 1m tonnes at a value of €364m (up 55 per cent).
Tomato imports grew 32 per cent in value to €206m, with value climbing 5 per cent to 188,058 tonnes.
In the fruit segment, imports totalled 2m tonnes (up 1 per cent) for a value of €2.59bn euros, growth of 9 per cent.
Bananas were the most imported fruit with some 403,702 tonnes imported, or 9 per cent more than 2021, at a value of €259m (up 29 per cent).
Imports across other fruit categories were mixed. Avocado volumes dropped 3 per cent to 208,575 tonnes with value also falling, down 2 per cent to €404m.
Apple imports climbed 6 per cent to 195,524 tonnes and fell 4 per cent in value to €150m euros, while pineapple numbers went the opposite way, with volumes falling 6 per cent to 160,746 tonnes but value rising 16 per cent to €134m.
”The Spanish import of fresh fruit and vegetables shows the continuous growth of foreign competition both in the national and community markets and is driven by less demanding regulations in the places of production, in different areas such as phytosanitary, making the model less and less competitive for community production,” Fepex outlined.
