Catalonia's fruit and vegetable sector shows its export potential at Fruit Attraction

PRODECA has organised the grouped participation of 31 Catalan fruit and vegetable companies at Fruit Attraction 2024, held from 8 to 10 October in Madrid, under the agri-food brand "Catalonia, where fruit is culture". In all, more than 90 Catalan companies are taking part in a new edition of this international fair, which has become a benchmark event for boosting the sector's global exports.

The Secretary for Food, Rosa Cubel, and the Director General of Agri-food Businesses, Quality and Gastronomy, Joan Gòdia, attended to show institutional support for Catalan companies and the fruit sector, one of the most important and strategic for the country's agri-food economy. During their visit a programme of meetings was arranged with various companies, organisations and sector players, aimed at addressing the sector's needs and assessing new collaboration opportunities.

The Catalan companies taking part in the Catalonia Pavilion:

• ABELLA FRUITS - Segrià
• AMSAFRESH - Montsià
• CAL ROGET - Berguedà
• CERIMA CHERRIES – Ribera d’Ebre
• CÍTRICS TERRES DE L'EBRE - DELTAFRUITS – Baix Ebre
• COOPERATIVA DE SOSES – Segrià
• COPA FRESH - Pla d'Urgell
• DASBEN - Segrià
• EXPORTADORA D'AGRIS D'ALCANAR - Montsià
• FILELLA FRUITS - Segrià
• FRUILAR – Segrià
• GREENFARMERS – Segrià
• GRUP FRUITER – Ribera d’Ebre
• GRUPO CATALÀ – Segrià
• IGP POMA DE GIRONA FRUCTÍCOLA D’EMPORDÀ – Baix Empordà
• IGP POMA DE GIRONA GIRONA FRUITS – Baix Empordà
• IGP POMA DE GIRONA GIROPOMA – Baix Empordà
• LA COMA FRUITS - Segrià
• LA PORTELLANA - Segrià
• PRATS FRUITS – Barcelonès
• SANDO CLEMENTINE – Baix Ebre
• SAT PLA D'ESCARP – Segrià
• SAT FRUITA D’ALCARRAS – Segrià 
• SOFRUT – Segrià  
• TERCOOP FRUITES - Segrià
• VISA FRUITS – Barcelonès
• VIVEROS ALCANAR - Montsià
• AFRUCAT
• IRTA
• CATALAN INTEGRATED PRODUCTION COUNCIL   
• PERA DE LLEIDA PDO REGULATORY COUNCIL

Fresh fruit, a heavyweight farming sector in Catalonia

Fresh fruit is a strategic sector for the Catalan agri-food economy and one of the pillars of its internationalisation. Thanks to a highly diverse area and a mild Mediterranean climate, Catalonia offers a wide variety of fruit with one unique feature: farming is carried out under an integrated production system. 37% of the fruit grown in Catalonia is integrated production.

Catalonia is one of Europe's main sweet-fruit producing areas. With a normal production capacity of one million tonnes of fruit a year (909,445 in 2023), it is the autonomous community that produces the most sweet fruit. Catalan apples and pears account for more than 50% of Spanish production. Stone fruit is also significant: around 30-35% of the peaches and nectarines produced in Spain are Catalan.

Around 90% of the fruit is sold for fresh consumption and 10% goes to the processing industry.

An export pillar of the Catalan agri-food economy

The Fruit and Vegetables sector is the third-largest agri-food exporting sector in both value and volume in 2024 (January-July). In 2023 the sector recovered its historical production and export figures after a year (2022) marked by weather conditions (the March frost).

Catalonia historically exports between 70% and 80% of its fruit (relative to production) to foreign markets and is present in the most demanding European and international chains in terms of quality, traceability and food safety. On 2023 figures this share exceeds 90%.

The European Union is the natural market for European fruit and where most of the world's fruit and vegetable producers send their exports. Many producing countries aim to grow ever more, well above their domestic demand, in order to sell in Europe, where they enjoy non-reciprocal preferential treatment when it comes to receiving European fruit.