40 Catalan fruit companies take part in Fruit Attraction

PRODECA has organised the joint participation of 32 Catalan fruit sector companies at Fruit Attraction 2022 , held from 4 to 6 October in Madrid under the brand "Catalonia, where fruit is culture". This is the 14th edition of this international fruit and vegetable fair, one of the sector's main platforms, which for three days fosters trade relations between producers, distributors and importers from across Europe. 

Joan Gòdia, Director General of Agri-food Businesses, Quality and Gastronomy, and Carmel Mòdol, Secretary for Food, accompanied by Prodeca's managing director Ramon Sentmartí, visited the fair and the participating Catalan companies to show institutional support for the fruit sector, one of the most important and strategic for the country's agri-food economy.

This year's fair features almost 40 Catalan companies, 32 of them on the stand organised by PRODECA – Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda under the brand "Catalonia, where fruit is culture".

Catalan companies taking part in Fruit Attraction 2022: 

• AMSAFRESH - Montsià
• BOLETS PETRÀS – Baix Llobregat
• BARÓ E HIJOS - Segrià
• CAL ROGET FRUITS - Segrià
• CERIMA CHERRIES – Ribera d’Ebre
• CÍTRICS TERRES DE L'EBRE – Baix Ebre
• CONJUNTFRUIT – Segrià
• COOPERATIVA AGROPECUARIA DE SOSES - Segrià
• COPA FRESH - Pla d'Urgell
• DASBEN - Segrià
• DIEGO MARTÍNEZ - Barcelonès
• EXPORTADORA D'AGRIS D'ALCANAR - Montsià
• FRUITS SANT MIQUEL - LA COMA – Segrià 
• FRUTAS Y HORTALIZAS FLORES – Barcelonès 
• GREEN GROWING ORGANICS – Barcelonès 
• GRUP FRUITER – Ribera d’Ebre 
• GRUPO CATALÀ – Segrià 
• IGP POMA DE GIRONA GIROPOMA – Baix Empordà 
• IGP POMA DE GIRONA GIRONA FRUITS – Baix Empordà 
• IGP POMA DE GIRONA FRUCTÍCOLA D’EMPORDÀ – Baix Empordà 
• LA PORTELLANA – Barcelonès 
• PRATS FRUITS – Barcelonès 
• SANDO CLEMENTINE – Baix Ebre
• SAT PLA D'ESCARP – Segrià 
• SAT. FRUITA D'ALCARRÀS 1268CAT - OP391 - Segrià
• TRECOOP FRUITES - Segrià
• VIVEROS ALCANAR - Montsià
• AFRUCAT
• AGEM
• IRTA
• MERCABARNA
• PORT OF BARCELONA

Fruit Attraction is an international meeting point for the fruit and vegetable sector, bringing together the whole supply chain. This year it expects to break records with 1,800 exhibiting companies from 55 countries, an expected 90,000 trade visitors from 130 countries and more than 58,000 m2 of exhibition space.

Fruit and vegetables, a major farming sector in Catalonia

Fresh fruit is one of Catalonia's main farm products for its economic weight, its growing area, its relative importance in both European and Spanish output, and its export orientation.

Historically, Catalonia has been one of Spain's leading producing regions. In 2021 it produced almost a million tonnes of fruit (984,382), making it the leading sweet fruit growing region. Catalan apples and pears account for 52% and 45% of Spanish output respectively. Stone fruit was also significant: around 30% of the peaches and nectarines grown in Spain were Catalan. 

The frosts in early April, however, badly affected fruit production. In August 2022 the forecast apple harvest in Catalonia was 203,350 tonnes, 28% below the last five years and 32% below 2021. For pears the 2022 forecast was 94,425 t, estimated to be 32% below the five-year average and 29% below 2021. Peaches and nectarines, two fruits traditionally very important here, also suffered major production losses: the peach harvest forecast was 89,646 tonnes, 64% below the last five years and 55% down on last year, and the nectarine harvest forecast was 58,450 tonnes, 69% below the last five years and 58% down on 2021. 

Catalan fruit and vegetable exports

Internationally, Catalonia is one of the leading sweet fruit growing areas in Europe and worldwide:

• Spain's largest apple producer
• Europe's largest peach and nectarine producer
• 9th largest peach and nectarine producer worldwide 
• 18th largest pear producer worldwide
• 37th largest apple producer worldwide

On exports, the fruit and vegetable sector (according to the Prodeca index) was the third largest agri-food export sector in both value and volume in 2021. Catalonia exports 86% of its fruit (relative to output) to foreign markets and is present in the most demanding European and international chains in terms of quality, traceability and food safety.

Compared with 2020, fruit export value rose 11.12% and volume 3.24%, raising the value-to-volume export ratio by 6.97%.

Compared with 2020, fruit export value rose 11.24% and volume 3.99%, raising the value-to-volume export ratio by 6.97%.

In 2021 Catalonia exported 71% of Spain's total apple exports, 56% of pears, 43% of peaches and 34% of nectarines.

Over the last five years (2016-2021) fruit exports have grown 27.26% in value , while volume has fallen 2.28%. These two figures show that we are adding value to our fruit in international markets, with a 30.23% increase in the export value-to-volume ratio.

Over the last five years, the number of regular fruit and vegetable exporters has grown 16.60%, from 494 in 2016 to 576 companies in 2021.

The fall in output caused by the frosts has also had consequences for exports: in the first seven months of 2022 (January-July) exports fell 11.06% in volume and 5.08% in value on the same period in 2021. Apricots, nectarines and peaches were the hardest hit by this drop in overseas sales. Apples and citrus, by contrast, increased sales in both volume and value on 2021.