The report from the Department of Customs and Special Taxes for the first five months of 2016 has revealed that Spanish imports of fresh fruits and vegetables have grown.
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Exports have dropped, although the value of these exports has increased by 5.7% compared with the same period last year.
The Spanish import of fruits and vegetables in the aforementioned period has grown by 19% in volume and 27% in value compared to 2015, totalling 1.3 million tonnes and 1,031 million euros.
Vegetable imports in the first five months of the year grew by 12.6% in volume and 36% in value, totalling 651,281 tonnes and 365.6 million euros. Potatoes have been the main product imported, with 415,203 tonnes (+4%) and 125.9 million euros (+78%).
Also noteworthy is the growth of onions, with 52,911 tonnes (+186%) worth 23 million euros (+169%) and green beans, with 51,832 tonnes (+10.6%) and 85.3 million euros (+9%).
Fruit imports stood at 661,903 tonnes (+25.6%) and 665.4 million euros (+23%). Bananas, apples and kiwis have been the most bought by Spain in the period at hand.
Banana imports amounted to 127,635 tonnes (+33.4%) and 72.7 million euros (+12%); apples reached 107,100 tonnes (+19.5%) and 77.3 million euros (+16%) and kiwis reached 58,166 tonnes (+7%) worth 60.5 million euros (-10.8%), according to data from the Customs Department.
Spanish exports of fresh fruit and vegetables from January to May 2016 fell by 3% in volume compared with the same period last year, totalling 5.7 million tonnes, and increased by 5.7% in value, reaching 6,110 million euros.
The decline in the volume exported in the first five months of this year has been due to the fall recorded by fruits, with an annual decline of 8.4%, totalling 2.9 million tonnes, while the value increased by 7.7%, totalling 3,307 million euros.
Citrus fruits experienced the largest decline, but apple and pear shipments also fell, with 13% less and 46,804 tonnes in the case of apples, and 36% less and 18,349 tonnes in the case of pears.
The export value of these fruits also declined, by 1.6% in the case of apples, totalling 34.9 million euros, and by 29% in the case of pears, with 13.9 million euros.
When it comes to stonefruit, declines were recorded in the export of nectarines (-10.5% in volume and -6.8% in value), totalling 56,328 tonnes and 84.1 million euros; apricots (-12.6% in volume and -8.8% in value), with 21,871 tonnes and 38.1 million euros, and plums (-32% in volume and -6.6% in value), totalling 2,991 tonnes and 4.9 million euros. These data correspond primarily to May, when the stonefruit season kicks off.
On the other side of the scale, exports of strawberries and red fruits between January and May recorded increases. Strawberry exports stood at 294,345 tonnes (+15%) worth 548.8 million euros (+11.6%).
Blueberry shipments stood at 26,347 tonnes (+33.6%) worth 197.3 million euros (+29,3), while raspberries reached 22,201 tonnes (+15.8%) worth 184.9 million euros (+ 29%), according to the latest data, updated to May, of the Department of Customs and Special Taxes of the Spanish Tax Agency; a body under the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. ■