Russia has become the largest non-EU client for Spanish tomatoes after doubling its purchases during the first semester of 2013, reaching 24.06 million kilos, according to data from the Department of Customs and Special Taxes of the Ministry of Economy, processed by FEPEX.
The second largest non-EU destination during this period was Belarus, which imported a total of 5.62 million kilos of fresh Spanish tomatoes.
Of the 640,960 tonnes of Spanish tomatoes exported, a total of 602,425 tonnes were shipped to the European Union (94%), with an increase of 7% compared to the same period last year. Within the EU, Germany is the main recipient with 132,888 tonnes; 11% more than in 2012. It is followed by France, with 95,471 tonnes (+5%) and the UK with 87,781 tonnes (+3%).
This growth in tomato exports, Spain's most exported vegetable, is mainly due to the increase in demand from the EU and the continent, as according to FEPEX, the volumes exported to other markets of potential interest are very small, mainly as a result of barriers to imports in the shape phytosanitary protocols. The total volume of exports to markets outside the EU was 244 tonnes, just 0.04% of the total.
Source: Hortoinfo.es