Spanish potatoes in jeopardy; record imports and lack of phytosanitary products

Published 2024년 12월 9일

Tridge summary

Spanish potato imports, especially from Egypt, have seen a dramatic increase, raising concerns about the sector's competitiveness and crop protection. In the past five years, Egyptian imports have surged 1,958%, making it a major competitor. The sector seeks measures to boost competitiveness, such as potato inclusion in the Common Agricultural Policy's sectoral interventions. Additionally, the sector emphasizes the need for alternative phytosanitary products as current ones may be banned, and addresses issues like the shortage of seed potatoes due to pests and climatic challenges.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The sharp increase in Spanish potato imports, especially from Egypt, and the shortage of phytosanitary products to protect crops are the main issues that concern the sector, as was presented at the meeting of the sectorial table organized by the Ministry of Agriculture this week. In the last five years, potato imports from Egypt have grown by 1,958%, from 2,463 t in 2019 to 50,488 t in 2023. In terms of value, purchases have increased from €1.1 million to €24.9 million, which represents an increase of 2,100%. This growth makes Egypt one of the main competitors in the national and community market, where it also leads as a supplier of potatoes to the EU27, representing 68% of total purchases of this crop. In Spain, until September 2024, potato imports reached 885,783 tonnes, 21.7% more than the previous year. France remains the main supplier, with 70% of the total, followed by Portugal and Egypt, which represent 7%. The sector grouped in FEPEX highlighted the need for measures to ...

Source: Agrodigital