February 18 2008, 08:46

Significant increase in Italian fruit and vegetable exports

Located among the many Italian exhibitors at FRUIT LOGISTICA is the stand of the I.C.E. institute for foreign trade. This is where visitors can find out about the latest export figures. During the first 9 months of 2007, Italy managed to significantly boost its exports of fruit and vegetables. The increase for vegetables was a 4-percent rise in value and a 9-percent rise in terms of quantity, and for fruit it was an 11-percent jump in value and a 7-percent increase in quantity. Germany was again the leading sales market for Italian fresh produce, purchasing 44.4% of vegetable exports and 31.2% of the country's exported fruit and citrus. On the German market, Italy accounts for 20% of imports, making it the second leading supplier of fruit, and even the leader for apples, grapes, peaches, nectarines, pears and kiwis. When it comes to vegetables, Italy accounts for 10% of German imports, putting the country in third place. Leading range from tomatoes, onions, carrots and lettuce, to courgettes, fennel, spinach and artichokes.