The agricultural and agroindustrial sector has a special weight in the economy of the province of Huesca. 33% of economic activity of the Alto Aragonese territory is related to these sectors. And this has a positive point, since it is a differentiated economy, but it also presents the risk of depending on climatic factors.
Within this weight, The primary sector is the most relevant, representing 16%followed by other sectors related to agriculture and agri-food, while agri-food accounts for 4.5%, according to the study ‘The agri-food sector in the province of Huesca. Employment, added value and foreign trade. Development potentials’, carried out by the Chamber of Huesca within the Aries Initiative.
Compared to Spain, the province of Huesca multiplies the representativeness of the added value of the primary sector by four. Specifically, the contribution of the primary sector in the territory of Huesca is 15.7%taking into account the average for the 2016-2020 period, compared to 2.9% in Spain.
The contribution of the agri-food sector is also greater: 5% in Huesca, taking into account the same time period, compared to 2.6% in Spain. In total, the “agricultural” sector contributes 20.7% in the province of Huesca and 5.5% in the national territory.
This weight is also noticeable in the business fabric. According to this study, the top 10 companies in the sales rankingwith headquarters in Huesca, are directly linked to the primary or agri-food sector.
The data are equally significant in terms of employment, since The agri-food industry has seen jobs increase by 52% from September 2019 to September 2019 to September 2024, going from 3,624 to 5,557 members.
The agricultural sector has a representation in employment in the province of Huesca of 18%, with the primary sector being especially significant, accounting for 13% of total affiliation while agri-food concentrates 5.3% of affiliates.
Huesca also stands out in outdoor activity. Precisely, in products such as live animals, the meat sector, forage and flour, the province represents more than 8% of national exports. Of the total exports from Huesca, 68% correspond to the agricultural sector.
However, despite these figures, the sector and the Huesca economy have a series of challenges before them or points on which they should focus. Among them, the report highlights the R&D&I to improve the international competitiveness and the productivityas well as the attraction of human resources with specific initiatives for each of the subsectors or professionals. Likewise, the focus is placed on generational change.
The sector must win in efficiency in the logistics chain and intermodality, in addition to advancing in circular economy and in the implementation of collective measures especially with small companies, which are the majority in the sector, in terms of traceability, shared production, incorporation into networks of business associations, relations with tourism and commerce and agri-food tourism.
It is also recommended to “take care” of the sector from public administrations, business associations and society in general not only because of the macroeconomic effects, but also because of the presence in rural areas.
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