Portuguese fruit, veg and flower exports smash through €2bn barrier

Portuguese fruit, vegetable and flower exports reached €2.04bn in 2022, their highest value ever, according to new figures from the Portuguese Statistics Institute (INE). This was an increase of 15.6 per cent compared to the previous year. The announcement was made by Portugal Fresh at Fruit Logistica, in Berlin.

The figures, announced at Fruit Logistica, show international sales also grew by 13.6 per cent in volume to 1.835m tonnes.

Spain continues to be Portugal’s biggest market, absorbing 35 per cent of exports. It is followed by France, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK and Belgium. Together, European Union countries absorbed 80 per cent of total exports.

The main fresh products exported were berries (€260m), citrus (€172m), pears (€111m) and fresh tomatoes (€79m).

“This is an historic milestone for the entire sector and the result of more than a decade of investment, not only in international promotion, but also in innovation and technology,” said Gonçalo Santos Andrade, chairman of Portugal Fresh.

“Portuguese companies are to be congratulated! Particularly in recent years, and especially given the adverse environment, they have shown huge resilience, which proves that investing in the sector is a safe bet and that it really is strategic for the economic development of the country.