The most exported vegetable, tomato, fell 15 percent, totaling 483,992 tonnes, while the value was stable, reaching 539 million euros, the same as in the first half of 2009. While lettuce, the second most exported vegetable, also recorded a decline, by 7% in volume while in value it increased by 21 percent.

As regards fruits, Fepex data show a reduction in exported volumes by 9.5 per cent: orange was the main exported fruit in the first half of 2010 with 881,400 tonnes. Strawberries exports stood at 208,000 tons. For stonefruit too drops in the volumes and increases in value were registered, Fepex reported. In the case of nectarines in particular, Spain’s main exported stone fruit, shipments totaled 103,576 tons.

The EU receives 94 percent of Spanish total exports, with Germany, France and the United Kingdom being the main countries. In detail, Germany represents 23 percent of Spanish total exports, followed by France with 21 percent and the United Kingdom with 12.5 percent.

Spain’s main exporting regions are Valencia, Murcia and Andalusia stay in the lead. Valencia, the leading one, totalled 1.7 million tonnes of exports, while Andalusia reached with 1.6 million and Murcia 952,431 tonnes.