Proexport warns of the deterioration of the fruit and vegetable export muscle in the Region of Murcia in 2023 | The truth

In terms of value, fruit and vegetable exports reached 3,085 million euros, 5.5% more than in 2022, when average prices at origin reflect part of the increases in production and marketing costs and the impact of the reduction in production.

This is a dynamic very similar to that of Spain as a whole, where fruit and vegetable exports also fell by 6% in volume, although they grew in value to 16,855 million euros.

By country, the European market is the main destination for Murcian fruit and vegetable exports. Germany receives 31% of the total exported, with 663,792 tons in 2023, followed by France with 16% and 347,254 tons, and then the United Kingdom, with 277,136 tons and 13% of Murcian fruit and vegetable shipments. Although our productions reach 97 countries in the world, the first 10 concentrate 90% of the total export volume.

As shown in the graph prepared by Proexport, Murcian vegetable exports grew by a slight 2% in 2023, standing at 1,202,116 tons, and their value has exceeded 1,805 million euros. However, fruit exports were reduced by 8% in 2023 with 960,863 tons, which reached a value of 1,279 million euros. The Region of Murcia represents 23.1% of the vegetables exported by Spain and 15.6% of the fruits and citrus fruits.

Export evolution in the last 5 years

Proexport has warned that, although the Region of Murcia (19% of the national total) remains one of the three main exporting autonomous communities, only behind Andalusia and the Valencian Community, its export volume has been significantly reduced in the last 5 years. Thus, according to their figures, from 2019 to 2023, regional fruit and vegetable exports have gone from 2,610,862 tons to the current 2,162,979, that is, 17.2% fewer shipments abroad, a similar evolution to the national total. In the Region, the decline in that period has been much more pronounced in the case of fruits (-27.7%), including citrus, than in vegetables (-7%).

Regarding the causes of this evolution, Proexport points out as the first factor the serious weather incidents suffered at different times in the last two campaigns, which altered the production cycles. And they then point to the unwanted effects of the strict agronomic, phytosanitary and environmental measures that regional, national and European hyper-regulation imposes on the agricultural sector. Among these effects they cite the increase in production costs, reductions in productivity in the field and inevitably the loss of competitiveness compared to third countries. Proexport indicates that, on the contrary, in the last 5 years, Spain's imports of fruits and vegetables have grown by 28% in volume and 51% in value.

Mariano Zapata, president of Proexport, has pointed out that “the Region of Murcia and Spain suffers a loss of export muscle that we can recover if measures are taken to support the sector that are not aesthetic, but that respond to the agrarian reality of this great region.” country”. And it proposes, among others, the following: «We must now address regulatory simplification in Europe and Spain, reduce social contributions in the agricultural sector, open new export markets, clearly support community preference and distribute water for irrigation in Spain with true meaning. of State”.

The lack of coherence between agricultural policy and trade policy, which is leading community producers to situations of competitive disadvantage compared to third countries, has been, precisely, one of the main complaints during the agrarian protests that have taken place in the last months in Spain, Holland, Germany or France.