Exports from the Spanish agri-food sector grow by 6%, to 44.228 million euros

Report prepared by experts from the LAFER Foundation

The agri-food balance provides a positive balance of 10.891 million euros.

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El Spanish agri-food sector is consolidated as one of the axes of the exporting of the Spanish economy, contributing 44.288 million euros to the balance of trade in 2016, that is, 17,4% of the whole.

 

These data represent a significant increase, specifically +5,9%, compared to +1,9% of the Spanish total exports, according to a report prepared by experts from the LAFER Foundation - Master in Agri-Food Business Management, based on data provided by DataComex (Secretary of State for Commerce). It is also worth highlighting the excellent performance of processed products, whose growth rate reached 8,5%, representing 7.240 million euros in 2016.

 

The wide difference between the exports and agri-food imports (33.337 million euros), favor a positive balance of 10.891 million euros. Thanks to these figures, the coverage rate is reinforced, reaching a new maximum of 133%, and they consolidate the export will of the food industry, whose economic value has increased by 126% in 15 years.

 

A medium and long-term comparison also indicates that the average rates of variation have been higher in the agri-food export than in the general average (6,7% compared to 3,4% at 5 years and 6,4% compared to 4,1% at 10 years), which suggests the importance of the sector in the Spanish foreign trade. 

 

By markets, the main buyers are in the UE, led by France which was exported for a value of 7.207 million euros (+1%), followed by Germany, with 5.296 million euros (+6%) and Italy, 4.622 million euros (+1%).

 

On the other hand, among the countries that reflect a greater increase in sales are China, whose exports amounted to 1.196 million euros, almost doubling the figures of 2015 (+45%). This sharp increase in exports places the Chinese market as eighth in the ranking, and as second among countries outside the UE, which heads U.S. with sales worth 1.745 million euros (+13%).

 

 

 

France, main destination, and strong increases in China and Morocco

 

 

 

In the framework of Asian countries, it is also worth highlighting the role of Spanish foods in Japan, given that exports have increased by 14%, up to 759 million euros and South Korea with 303 million euros (+10%). Finally, in the chapter of markets that are growing at double digits, the significant increase experienced by Morocco, with 35%, and a total of 358 million euros.

 

On the opposite side, the countries with a greater decrease in exports are Algeria (-8%), Mexico (-6%), UAE (-4%). Finally, sales remain flat, Russia, 241 million euros, due to the effects of the veto raised in 2014.

 

Mediterranean diet: pork, olive oil, citrus fruits and wine

 

From the point of view of products, three of them stand out for selling for values ​​above 3.000 million euros: beef pork, olive oil and citrus. Specifically, pork is the main product sold abroad, with a value of 3.207 million euros and a significant growth of 19%. Next are olive oil, with an even increase of 19% and a total of 3.160 million euros, and citrus fruits, whose sales decreased by 5% in 2016, to 3.143 million euros. This group of foods of the Mediterranean Diet is closed by grape wine with 2.679 million euros, but whose sales have remained stable last year.

 

During the last decade, pork, olive oil, other fruits (strawberries, berries, kiwi, etc.) and bakery and pastry products are those that reflect the greatest strength in growth, with percentages that fluctuate between 9% and 13%. To cite the figures for some of these subsectors, highlight the strong increase in industrial bakery and pastry, going from 850 million euros in 2016 compared to 377 million euros in 2006. Finally, the spectacular growth in meat sales of pork have led it to lead the ranking of agri-food products for the first time, when four years ago, it was only fourth (3.207 million euros compared to 1.225 million euros).