PROEXPORT highlights the importance of growing lettuce in Spain, which has increased steadily in recent years due, among other factors, to increased domestic and foreign demand for fresh and healthy products, diversification and increased varietal types the fourth range (salads ready to eat).
The national export volume amounted to 770,499 in lettuce mt in 2014, according to Proexport, which represented an increased of 5% over the previous year, which recorded 679.826tm. By contrast, the export value was down by 3%, reaching 551.2 million euros compared to 567.9 million euros in 2013.
PROEXPORT notes that Spanish Murcia province is the main exporter of lettuce with a volume of 504,972 tons, representing 71.1% as compared to the national total, followed by Almeria (130.549tm), Valencia (23.335tm) and Alicante (23.121tm). In volume, Murcia recorded an increase of 4.2% over the previous period (484,639tm). In value, in line with the national trend, there was a decrease of 4%, reaching 380.7 million euros compared to 2013 (395.2 million euros). And the average price of lettuce exported in 2014 decreased by 8% to 0.78 euros / kg, according to Customs data.
It is a loss of profitability not less than as Javier Soto, president of the Sector Lettuce PROEXPORT, “worries the whole production sector and forces us to all operators, producers, brokers and retailers, to give serious thought We should adopt measures to ensure sustainability in the medium and long term production at source “. In his view, these measures are to “focus more productive supply, generate greater value added to the consumer and improve enterprise management, not forgetting to continue investments in modernization of farms and the cost reduction undertaken in recent years.”
Germany, the main commercial customer
Germany consumes one in four Spanish lettuce exported (184.000Tm), while the UK absorbs 17% (122.698Tm) and France (14% 98.664Tm). The fourth place is for 64.000Tm Netherlands.
By variety, of the total exported lettuce, 62% (437.835Tm) corresponds to type lettuces fanleaf, among which is a majority iceberg lettuce, while the remaining 38% (272.665Tm) corresponds to other varieties and specialties ( Roman, oak leaf, buds, multileaf, etc.).
Javier Soto will participate Wednesday in the Technical Seminar “Growing lettuce, situation and perspectives” organized by Cajamar Caja Rural in Torre Pacheco (Murcia), along with representatives of other companies associated with Proexport as SAT Primaflor and Kernel Export SL.
Source: Proexport
