Fruit, vegetable, and legume traffic through Spanish ports exceeded 12 million tons in 2021

• Of this, 60%, or 7.4 million tons, corresponds to goods that were unloaded
• Twelve Port Authorities (Almería, Bay of Algeciras, Bay of Cádiz, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Málaga, Motril, S.C. Tenerife, Valencia, and Vigo), representing 87% of the total volume, will participate in the Puertos del Estado booth.

April 4, 2022 (Public Body Puertos del Estado).

The state-owned port system handled 12,118,989 tons of fruits, vegetables, and legumes in 2021, representing a 0.5% and 0.7% increase compared to 2020 and 2019, respectively. Of this traffic, 61%, or 7.4 million tons, were goods unloaded, while the remaining 4.7 million tons were loaded. Goods unloaded experienced the most significant increase, +5% compared to 2019 data, compensating for the decrease in loaded goods, which declined by a similar percentage.

According to the Spanish Federation of Associations of Producers Exporters of Fruits, Vegetables, Flowers, and Live Plants (Fepex), Spanish exports of fresh fruits and vegetables in 2021 grew by 2.6% in volume and 7.4% in value, totaling 13.4 million tons and 15,680 million euros, respectively. Meanwhile, the import of fresh fruits and vegetables in the same year continued the upward trend of previous years, with a 5.5% year-on-year growth in volume and a 4.5% increase in value, reaching 3.6 million tons and 3,258 million euros.

PORTS OFFER THEMSELVES AS A COMPETITIVE OPTION FOR IMPORT/EXPORT

At the Puertos del Estado stand of 132 m2 at the Fruit Logistica Fair, taking place from April 5 to 7 in Berlin, 12 Port Authorities (Almería, Bay of Algeciras, Bay of Cádiz, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, Huelva, Málaga, Motril, S.C. Tenerife, Valencia, and Vigo) are represented, accounting for 87% of the total volume of these goods moved in 2021, offering a wide range of infrastructures and services for importers and exporters worldwide.

Spanish ports offer over 85 million m2 of land area and storage areas, refrigerated warehouses with nearly 2 million m3 of capacity, over 300,000 linear meters of berthing, connections with any port in the world, border inspection points (BIP), phytosanitary services, and all kinds of logistical solutions.

A SECTOR WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPLANTATION IN SPANISH AGRICULTURE

The fruit and vegetable sector is one of the most economically relevant in Spanish agriculture. According to data published by Fepex, the fruit and vegetable sector in Spain constitutes an economic activity with a strong presence in production, exports, and agricultural employment. The sector's participation in Agricultural Plant Production reached 17,723 million euros in 2018 (latest data as of January 2019), representing 55% of the total, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. In terms of Agricultural Final Production, it represents 33% of the total.

Employment in the fruit and vegetable sector accounts for 50% of agricultural employment, with 400,000 workers, and employs an additional 80,000 workers in handling and commercialization tasks in production areas. Exports represent approximately two-thirds of the sector's turnover.