Fruit and veg exports hit record

Exports of Portuguese fruit and vegetables in the first half of 2023 have a hit a new record with €1Bn in revenues for the first time ever.

“This is the first time that international sales in this sector have exceeded the €1Bn mark with €1.3Bn in sales revenues” says Portugal Fresh – the brand for the Association for Marketing Fruit, Vegetables and Flowers of Portugal.
“Fruits, vegetables and flowers produced in Portugal are increasingly valued in international markets and this positive evolution in exports is the result of the efforts from a sector that is increasingly more modern and technologically oriented, focused on the (International) market and investing a lot in know-how and innovation”, says association president Gonçalo Andrade.
Over 80% of sales to the sector went to Spain (33%), France (14%), the Netherlands (13%), Germany (8%), the United Kingdom (7%), Belgium (4%) and Japan (3%).
The greatest increase in exports was seen in horticultural products (+24% on H1 2022) and preparations made from fruits and vegetables (+18%).
The same trend has been seen in exports of ornamental plants and flowers although there was a fall of 3% on 2022.
Looking at sales per quantity, there was a fall of 12.9%, explained by a significant reduction in some production because of poorer harvests caused by climate change. The sharpest fall in terms of volume was seen in ornamental plants and flowers (24%) and then fruits and vegetables (18%).
For the whole of 2022 exports of Portuguese fruits, vegetables, and flowers exceeded, for the first time ever, the €2Bn mark.
The main products exported were processed tomato (€330 million), small fruits (€260 million), citrus fruits (€172 million), pears (€111 million) and fresh tomatoes (€79 million).