Spanish produce exporters seek markets beyond Europe as regional competition intensifies
Spain’s fruit and vegetable industry is pursuing customers outside Europe, which absorbs 97% of its exports. Export value continued to rise despite lower volumes, but perishability, logistics costs and phytosanitary barriers constrain diversification.
Export value rises as volumes decline
Spanish fruit and vegetable exporters are stepping up efforts to diversify beyond Europe as competition increases in their dominant regional market. Efeagro reports that Europe receives 97% of Spain’s fruit and vegetable exports, leaving the sector heavily exposed to shifts in European demand, prices and supply.
Spain exported 12 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables in 2025, down 3.6% from 2024. The value of those shipments nevertheless rose 4% to €18.667 billion, making produce the largest contributor to the Spanish agri-food trade balance. Major categories include tomatoes, peppers, citrus fruit, watermelon, stone fruit and strawberries. From January through July 2026, exports reached 7.5 million tonnes, a year-on-year decline of 1%, while their value increased 6% to €12.039 billion.
Trade fair targets buyers outside Europe
The eighteenth Fruit Attraction trade fair in Madrid named China and the United Arab Emirates as guest importing countries. Its international buyer program brought Spanish companies into contact with 700 retail purchasing executives, importers and wholesalers invited from 60 countries. The initiative seeks to widen the customer base for products whose short shelf life, particularly in vegetables, complicates long-distance distribution.
Through ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones, companies also received information about opportunities in India for citrus fruit, kiwifruit, stone fruit and table grapes. Indonesia was presented as a potential destination for premium fresh fruit and selected high-value vegetables, while Kenya was highlighted for agricultural technology companies.
Commercial interest does not remove the practical barriers. Efeagro notes that geopolitical conditions prevent shipments to many countries, while production and logistics costs make exporters cautious about entering distant markets. Phytosanitary rules, inspections and administrative procedures can further delay access, an especially serious problem for highly perishable produce.
Companies balance diversification and established demand
Anecoop, a second-tier cooperative with revenue exceeding €1 billion, exports to more than 90 countries. President Alejandro Monzón said its objective is to reach as many destinations as possible so the cooperative has alternatives when European demand enters a weaker cycle. He said armed conflicts are redirecting produce traditionally destined for other regions into Europe, increasing competition and making sales in the EU more difficult.
Grupo Paloma, based in Mazarrón in Murcia, exported 90% of its production—about 60,000 tonnes in 2025—to 32 countries, led by the United Kingdom and Germany. The producer of tomatoes, seedless grapes, nectarines and pomegranates is expanding in Eastern Europe with major retailers including Lidl. It has also secured access to Brazil for pomegranates and South Africa for table grapes. Separately, Grupo La Caña said British supermarkets that shifted purchases toward Morocco after Brexit have resumed sourcing from Spain as quality and supply reliability gain priority over price.
Some exporters are testing more distant destinations selectively. Frutas Poveda began shipping lemons to Canada about three years ago and is increasing its investment there after describing the market as attractive. Fruca exports 90% of its lettuces, endives, melons, watermelons, citrus fruit and peppers, but identifies extreme perishability and high transport costs as its main constraints. The figures suggest that diversification will proceed product by product: higher-value or more durable fruit can travel farther, while many vegetables will remain tied to nearby European distribution networks.
