Leading Spanish fresh produce exporter Zenalco has revealed that it shipped 133,500 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetable last year - a rise of over 7.6 per cent on 2006 - to a number of destinations, including for the first time Romania.

Zenalco, which is owned by French supermarket group Auchan, also exports to Poland, France, Italy, Portugal, Hungary and Russia, and the company said export sales had increased by 13 per cent, reaching some €125m.

Citrus, principally sourced from the regions of Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia, accounted for the bulk of the company’s exports, a concern which also rose by 9 per cent over the year before to 70,000 tonnes.

However, it was the strawberry category that accounted for some of the most impressive growth, according to Zenalco, with exports rising to more than 4,250 tonnes, a 40 per cent increase over 2006.