Orange production across the European Union stood at 6.5 million tonnes in 2018, which was the highest production level since 2010, according to Eurostat, the main statistical body of the European Union.
The volume increase was underpinned by a record harvest in Spain, the biggest producer in the EU, which harvested 3.6 million tonnes of oranges in 2018, or 56% of the EU total.
As well as Spain, Italy produced 1.6 million tonnes, or 24% of the total, while Greece produced 0.9 million tonnes, or 14% of the EU total.
Some 2.7 million tonnes of oranges were exported by EU member states, valued at around €1.9 billion, with the majority traded between Member States.
Import Totals
In addition, the EU imported 1.1 million tonnes of oranges, to the value of €0.7 billion, from non-EU countries in 2018. Approximately three quarters of these imports came from South Africa, which accounted for 43% of extra-EU imports, or Egypt, which accounted for 30% of the total.
Other countries exporting oranges to the EU included Morocco (8%), Argentina (4%), Zimbabwe (close to 4%), Turkey (3%) and Uruguay (2%).
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
