According to official figures from Spanish Customs authorities, potato imports more than doubled in value to register a 118 per cent rise for the first five months of the year compared to the same period in 2012. Values reached €141 million and volumes topped 389,000 tonnes, some two per cent down on the January to May period in 2012. Other EU countries were the main sender to Spain, with France the leading country.
In May, import values reached €22 million, more than 130 per cent up on the same month in 2012 while tonnage fell to 58,259t, a 10 per cent decline year on year. Average import prices were therefore 157 per cent higher, according to Departamento de Aduanas de la Agencia Tributaria, the Spanish Customs authority.
A spokesperson from the Spanish federation of producer-exporter associations Fepex said: “The evolution of imports reflects the need to implement measures to improve the competitiveness of the sector. This includes addressing distortions and competitive disadvantages that the CAP is causing the Spanish sector, which is excluded from the system of direct payments that are received by potato producers of the other main EU countries such as Germany, the UK and France.”
