Lidl exported 27,000 tons of Portuguese fruits and vegetables in 2022

In a statement issued today to celebrate World Agriculture Day, Lidl, part of the German Schwarz group, highlights the growth of this indicator by 23% compared to 2021, “which confirms the retailer’s support for national producers.”

In total, 1,533 truckloads of fruits and vegetables from 505 producers in Portugal left the country for markets in Germany, France, Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland, Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Rocha do Oeste pear was the main export product, totaling 16,000 tons, followed by 4,000 tons of hearty cabbage, 2,000 tons of stone fruit and another 2,000 tons of citrus fruits from the Algarve, 1,400 tons of red fruit and 90 tons of of apple apples. Alcobaça – the last to be exported only to Spain and in the months of November and December.

In addition to these products, pumpkins, plums, chestnuts, white cabbage/kohlrabi and melons were exported.

“The evolution of the numbers is evidence that our mission has been successful and that the national products are of high quality. The partnership we have maintained with Portugal Fresh since 2014 has allowed us to make a difference in the business of our partners,” according to Lidl Portugal’s Director of Fruits and Vegetables, Pierre Silva, quoted in the document .

Portugal Fresh announced, in February, that Portugal’s exports of fruits, vegetables and flowers reached a record value of €2,040 million in 2022, an increase of 15.6% compared to 2021.

In a statement, the Association for the Promotion of Fruits, Vegetables and Flowers of Portugal also stated that, based on data released today by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the international sales of the sector grew by 13.6% in volume, reaching 1,835 million. kilograms.

The main exported products last year were processed tomatoes (330 million euros), small fruits (260 million euros), citrus fruits (172 million euros), pears (111 million euros) and fresh tomatoes (79 million euros).

In terms of markets, Spain continued to be Portugal’s largest customer for fruits, vegetables and flowers, with a weight of 35%, followed by France, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and Belgium as the main destinations for Portugal. Production in 2022.

In total, the EU absorbs 80% of the bloc’s total exports.

Created in December 2010 to “promote the ‘Portugal’ origin and characteristics of national products, as well as to promote fruits, vegetables and flowers in domestic and foreign markets”, Portugal Fresh has 87 members representing more than 4,500 Portuguese products.

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