Yearly Spanish fresh fruit and vegetable exports increased by 6 per cent in volume terms during 2012, according to newly released data from the Department of Customs and Excise Special Ministry of Economy.
The figures, published by Spanish industry body Fepex, also showed that fresh produce export value increased 13 per cent on the previous year, reflecting an 'overall positive performance of exports', the group noted.
For vegetables, export volumes dropped 1 per cent to 4.2m tonnes while value increased 11 per cent to €3.9bn with tomatoes (€925m, +10 per cent), peppers (€606m, +4 per cent) and lettuce (€589m, +27 per cent) leading the way.
Fruit export volumes increased 11 per cent year-on-year to 6.8m tonnes, Fepex reported, with value up 14 per cent to €5.7bn. This was driven by the growth of stonefruit in particular, where export value soared by 13 per cent to €859m.
Other significant increases in the fruit sector came in strawberries, with value up 18 per cent to €522m, while watermelons and melons also enjoyed growth of 13 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.
The EU remained the leading export destination for Spanish produce, taking on 91 per cent of Spain's total shipments, with the list of importing nations headed by Germany, France, UK and the Netherlands.
In its yearly review, Fepex said that while volume growth pointed to the industry's ability to maintain sales in a tough economic environment, this positive trend masked some serious situations including the decline in exports of products such as apples and green beans.
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