Italian food exports are up by a record 10.9% year-on-year in the first six months of 2017, according to farmers' lobby group Coldiretti.
This is compared the same period last year, when exports reached a historic high of €38.4 billion, reports Il Velino.
Almost two-thirds of agri-food exports go to other EU countries, with Germany and France receiving the highest amount in value terms, followed by the US and the UK. The most exported Italian agri-food product is wine, followed by fresh fruit.
Wine Growth
Coldiretti is forecasting a 4.7% growth in Italian wine exports compared to last year, when exports reached a total of €5.6 billion. However, wine production is expected to fall 10-15% compared to last year's 51.6 million hectolitres, mainly due to a mild winter, frost damage, persistent drought and localised hailstorms.
The group is also expecting Italy to overtake France as the leading wine producer, as the initial estimates show a sharp decline in production in France and Spain due to late frosts and drought conditions.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
