In 2016, the European Union (EU) imported a historic record volume of vegetables, according to data analyzed by Hortoinfo from the Euroestacom (Icex-Eurostat) statistical service, code 07 of the Integrated Tariff of the European Communities - TARIC.
In 2016, the EU imported a total of 28,087.82 million kilos vegetables, i.e. 7 percent more than in 2015.
However, the overall value of the vegetables purchased by the EU in 2016 was slightly lower than in 2015, as there was a -1.15 percent decline in the average price. In 2016 the EU purchased 24,025.71 million euro in vegetables, at an average price of 0.855 euro per kilo. In 2015, the EU made purchases for 24,120.45 million euro, with an average price of 0,865 € / kg.
The Netherlands was the biggest supplier of vegetables for the EU, with a volume of 6118.32 million kilos worth 4,895.29 million and an average price of 0.8 euro per kilo.
Spain ranked second in volume, but surpassed the Netherlands in income. The EU purchased 4,890.8 million kilos of vegetables from Spain that were worth 5,213.64 million euro and had an average price of 1,066 euro per kilo.
The third largest supplier of vegetables to the EU by volume was France with 3607.23 million kilos worth 1,800.06 million euro, and an average price of 0.499 euro per kilo.
Germany ranked fourth with 2,643.67 million kilos, 1485.36 million euro and an average price of 0.562 euro per kilo.
Belgium ranked fifth with 2,509.07 million kilos, 1923.21 million euro and an average price of 0.767 euro per kilo.
Of the five largest suppliers of vegetables to the EU, whose sales account for 70.38 percent of the total, Spain had the highest sales prices. However, among the 10 biggest suppliers, Spanish prices were surpassed by Moroccan prices, which averaged 1,271 € / kg. Morocco sold 748.21 million kilos of vegetables to the EU worth 950.62 million euro. Spanish prices were also surpassed by Italy, which sold 1019.46 million kilos of vegetables worth 1,244.4 million euro, at an average price of 1.221 € / kg. China had the highest prices among the top 20 suppliers of vegetables to the EU. China sold 350.02 million of kilos of vegetables to EU worth 623.02 million euro, at an average price of 1.78 euro per kilo.
Spanish sales of vegetables to the EU decreased by 3.62 percent in 2016 over the previous year, the Netherlands increased them by 14.1 percent, Morocco by 7.14 percent, Egypt by 5.23 percent, and Turkey by 31.03 percent.
Source: hortoinfo.es