Agricultural sector exports grow

Exports of the Spanish agricultural sector experienced a growth of 8.6% in the first seven months of the year, reaching a value of 1,554 million euros, compared to 1,431 million obtained from January to July 2018. All this, “a In spite of the uncertain situation that the international economy is going through ”, they value from the Spanish Association of Manufacturers-Exporters of Agricultural Machinery and its Components, Greenhouses, Crop Protection, Irrigation Systems, Livestock Equipment, Animal Health and Nutrition, Machinery Forestry, Biomass and Postharvest (AGRAGEX).

Especially noteworthy is the increase in shipments to the African continent, which reached 337.16 million euros, 26.09% more than in the same period last year. AGRAGEX points out that this increase is mainly motivated by the recovery of the Egyptian market, to which Spain went from exporting 18.5 million euros until July 2018 to 97.4 million until July this year.

In Latin America, on the other hand, Spanish agricultural products worth 231.3 million euros were exported from January to July 2019, 12.94% more compared to last year. They also increased, although more moderately, shipments to Europe, which reached 853 million euros, a 4.19% increase over the first seven months of 2018.

Despite the uncertainty generated by Brexit, exports from the Spanish agricultural sector to Britain amounted to 40.1 million euros, 13.81% more than the previous year. Even in Germany, whose economy is suffering the effects of a slowdown, Spanish shipments grew 11.32% in the first part of 2019, to 68.1 million euros. On the contrary, exports to the Asian continent from January to July experienced a decrease of 16.98%, to 73.1 million euros, with falls of 22.49% in China and 24.7% in Japan.

The month of July was especially positive for the interests of the Spanish agricultural sector, as its exports increased by 24.54% compared to the same month of 2018. The main increases occurred in Africa and Latin America, with growth of 72.83 % and 32.49%, respectively. On the other hand, in the Asian continent and in Oceania they decreased 9.25% and 24.83%.

Specifically, Spanish shipments in July amounted to 239.3 million euros, for 192.1 million July 2018. “These data reflect the recognition and prestige of the Spanish agricultural sector in the rest of the world ”, They point out from AGRAGEX. “We are confident that exports will continue with the growing trend in the remainder of the year and be able to exceed the 2,321 million euros that were exported last year.”