Catalonia's fruit sector takes part in Fruit Logistica 2025

The Government of Catalonia, through PRODECA, the Catalan food promotion agency, is organising the grouped participation of Catalan fruit sector companies at Fruit Logistica, held in Berlin from 5 to 7 February. This year some twenty Catalan companies and organisations linked to the fruit sector are taking part, 11 of them in the Catalonia space.

The grouped participation of Catalan companies aims to improve their positioning in overseas markets and facilitate new business contacts. Catalonia presents itself in Berlin as one of southern Europe's most important fresh produce distribution markets and an example of quality production and work.

To support Catalan companies and the Catalan fruit sector, the Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Òscar Ordeig, accompanied by PRODECA's managing director, Dèlia Perpinyà, and the Catalan Government Delegate to Germany, Marie Kapretz, visited the fair and the participating Catalan companies. The Catalan delegation has a schedule of meetings with various Catalan fruit and vegetable associations, organisations and companies to address their needs and concerns around the sector's internationalisation.

Catalan companies taking part in Fruit Logistica 2025 in the Catalonia space:

• ABELLA FRUITS - Segrià
• CERIMA CHERRIES – Ribera d’Ebre
• COPA FRESH – Pla d'Urgell 
• DASBEN - Segrià
• DIEGO MARTÍNEZ – Barcelonès 
• FRUITES FONT - Segrià
• GRUPO CATALÀ – Segrià  
• IGP POMA DE GIRONA – GIROPOMA – Baix Empordà
• SANDO CLEMENTINE – Baix Ebre
• IRTA
• MERCABARNA - AGEM

Fruit Logistica is Europe's most important specialist international show for fruit and vegetable marketing. It is the meeting point for the whole fruit and vegetable sector and brings the entire supply chain together in a single event. The fair expects to exceed the 66,000 attendees of the 2024 edition and will bring together more than 2,600 exhibitors from over 90 countries across the fresh produce value chain.

A heavyweight farming sector in Catalonia

Fresh fruit is a strategic sector for Catalonia's agri-food economy, both for its relative importance in production and for its weight in internationalisation. 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 and normally produces close to one million tonnes of fruit a year (844,000 in 2024). It is the autonomous community that produces the most sweet fruit, and Catalan apples and pears account for more than 50% of Spanish production. Stone fruit is also significant, as around 30-35% of the peaches and nectarines produced in Spain are Catalan. Other crops such as cherries, plums and apricots are less significant, not exceeding 10-15% of Spanish production.

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

Catalan fruit and vegetables in the international market

The Fruit and Vegetables sector is the third-largest agri-food exporting sector in both value and volume. On the latest available figures (January-November) the sector as a whole exported 1,037,934 tonnes worth €1,331M, up 6% in volume and 4% in value on the same period in 2023.

Looking at fruit alone, between January and November 2024 Catalonia exported 761,000 tonnes worth close to €1,040M, a slight increase in volume (+0.38%) and a considerable rise in value (+3.26%) on 2023.

In 2023 the sector recovered its historical production and export figures after a year (2022) marked by weather conditions (the March frost). 2024 was marked by a sharp fall in pear production.

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 2024 figures this share exceeds 90%.

As for companies, in 2024 Catalonia had 374 regular fruit exporters, 2.7% more than in 2023 and 20% of the Spanish total.

The fruits sold most abroad by value are peaches, nectarines, citrus, apples and pears.

Over the past 5 years (2018-2023) fruit exports have grown by more than 20% in value while volume has fallen by around 2.5%. These two figures show that we are adding value to our fruit in international markets, representing a 24% increase in the export value-to-volume ratio. 

Germany, the main destination for Catalan fruit exports

Catalonia exports fruit to 198 world markets, although the top 10 destinations account for 87% of value and 86% of total volume. With a market share above 85%, the European Union is the natural market for Catalan fruit.

Germany is the main destination for Catalonia's fruit exports, followed by France and Italy.

The main destination countries for Catalan peaches and nectarines are those of Western Europe belonging to the European Union, such as Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Portugal.

For pears, the main receiving countries are Italy, followed by France and Germany, and to a lesser extent Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Portugal.

Finally, for apples the main destination is France, followed by Brazil, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Colombia; to a lesser extent there are also exports to Ecuador, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Mauritania, Guatemala and Italy.