Generic courgettes zucchini

Courgettes have enjoyed a sales boost

Almeria veg exports have increased over the last few months.

This has reportedly been aided by exporters - still unable to send their produce to Russia - branching out into new markets while taking care of the existing ones, Spanish newspaper Euro Wekly News reports, adding that 80 companies in the province have made the most of business opportunity searches launched over the last year by the Andalucian Exterior Promotion Agency (Extenda).

The searches, it is reported, helped increase customers in countries already on the client lists, and add new countries including China, Japan, Chile and Honduras.

Programmes of this type have managed to compensate for losses from closure of borders in Russia, and data on the first six months of 2015 has revealed a 1.4 per cent increase in vegetable exports for Almeria.

Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers maintained their sales figures, while courgettes increased theirs by 57 per cent, the report revealed.