Export of Fresh Kiwifruit from Spain Is Rising despite Obstacles in the 2022/23 Season

Published 2022년 11월 11일

The export of kiwifruit from Spain has risen yearly since 2017, when the volume was 17,330 MT, soaring to 39,400 MT in 2021, marking a 227.35% 5-year growth. Increasing acreage and production of kiwifruit have fueled export growth. Still, in the ongoing 2022/23 season, Spanish farmers are faced with increased input and cold storage costs. Also, adverse weather conditions such as heat waves and drought have affected the yield, estimated to be 20-30% lower, according to Carlos Iborra, Tridge Global Origination Manager in Spain.

According to Carlos Iborra, Tridge Global Origination Manager in Spain, the harvest of fresh kiwifruit in Spain is advancing with similar quantities to 2021 but with smaller sizes due to heat and drought. Especially for Hayward kiwi production in the Iberian zone (Spain and Portugal) for the 2022 campaign, around 50,000 MT are expected. Still, this is far below production in Italy (310,000MT) and Greece (350,000MT). Greece is currently the world's second-largest producer of kiwi fruit, just behind New Zealand. More on the current Greek Kiwi situation can be found here. The export of kiwifruit from Spain has significantly increased since 2017, when the volume was 17,330 MT, soaring to 39,400MT in 2021, marking a 227.35% 5-year growth.

Spanish Kiwifruit Export Trends

Source: Tridge

An increase in the acreage of fresh kiwifruit in Spain was the main reason for both export growth and a production increase. From 1,384 ha in 2016, Spanish farmers have been expanding kiwi production to 1,735 ha in 2022, a 25.36% increase, and are still growing. Production is located in the northern parts, mainly in Galicia and Asturias (more than 85% of Spanish kiwi production), as well as Navarra, Aragon, and the Basque Country. Recently, production has spread to other communities, such as Valencia (second behind Galicia in the cultivated area). Andalusia and the Canary Islands have the smallest acreages under kiwifruit. In 2021, the total kiwifruit production in Spain was 23,000 MT, a 16.05% YoY fall compared to 27,400 MT in 2020 due to frost and hail storms. In 2022, according to Carlos Iborra, production is expected to decrease by 20-30% due to high temperatures during summer and autumn.

The main trading partners in 2021 were Portugal, Italy, and France, with a combined market share of 70.5% and a total export value of USD 51.47M. In terms of value in 2021, Spain's kiwi export reached 176.04% 5-year growth, with Brazil (+1528.1%) and Poland (+1589.57%) as the most prominent emerging markets. Spain's exports in 2021 represented 1.9% of world kiwi exports, and its ranking in world exports was 8th.

At the same time, due to high domestic consumption of kiwi (in Spain, the average consumption is almost 3 kg per capita per year), Spain is a massive importer of kiwifruit, ranking 4th place globally with a global import share of 7.6% in 2021. New Zealand, Greece, and Italy were the leading exporters of fresh kiwi fruit to Spain, with a combined share of 65.8% and a consolidated export value of USD 204.69M to Spain.

Kiwifruit production is gaining importance in Spain, despite farmers' challenges in the ongoing 2022/23 season. Adverse weather in the form of high temperatures and drought affected the size of kiwifruits, with medium and smaller sizes dominating. Also, the rise in input costs and cold storage costs have tripled from USD 0.29/kg in the 2021/22 season to USD 0.88/kg in the 2022/23 season. This is affecting farmers' profit margins, with YoY selling price changes almost minimal. More on the price movement of kiwifruit in Spain can be found here. Given that Spanish farmers are investing in the expansion of kiwifruit, expectations are that export will grow, and climatic factors can only hinder it due to the sensitivity of kiwifruit production.