The latest edition of the observatory on the agri-food sector of the Spanish regions is a report sponsored by Cajamar and prepared by Joaquín Maudos, Ivie’s deputy director and professor at the University of Valencia, also in collaboration with the economist from Spain. Jimena Salamanca Institute, The development of industry exports in the Community of Valencia, which grew by 9% in 2020 despite Covid-19, has once again increased, now worth 12.2%. In total, over the past year the region exported agri-food products worth €7,825 million, representing 13.2% of the national total.
Valencian Community It offers the third largest export economy in the industry and also the third highest trade surplus in the year studied., because the difference between exports and imports reaches 3,225 million Euros. Germany and France are the main export markets, and edible fruits and nuts are the main exports (46.4% of agri-food exports).Spain’s largest citrus producer (providing almost half of the total) and second in plants and flowers (16.6% of the national total).
The 2,534 companies owned by the sector represent 8.4% of the total number of companies in the Spanish agri-food industry. In the business structure, micro enterprises dominate, with a share of 62.5%, almost 4 percentage points higher than Spain.
The industry’s low productivity, combined with above-average labor costs predominantly in the marketing phase, 14% less competitive than the national average.
In terms of per capita expenditure on food by Valencian households, the region little fifth (1,530 EUR/person) in Spain, 5% below the national average (1,610 EUR/person).
Currently, there are no operational groups of AEI-Agri (European Innovation Associations for Agricultural efficiency and sustainability) in the Valencia agri-food sector, but 4.9% of the projects were carried out in the region by agricultural innovators from all over the country (34 projects).
In the report prepared for Cajamar, a section is devoted to actions to increase the sustainability of the sector. In this area, the Community of Valencia The fourth region of Spain in the area devoted to organic farming.
Comparison with national figures and CC.AA.
The Spanish agri-food sector produced A value added (GVA) of 99,454 million euros for the economy in 2021It represents a 1.4% increase from the previous year, down 4% marked by the COVID-19 crisis. Andalusia and Catalonia contribute 19.5% and 15.4% of the national GVA, respectively, followed by C. Valenciana, which represents another 9.4%.
On employment, sector creates 2.25 million jobs. While the total number of jobs decreased slightly by 0.3%, it is recovering after a 4.9% drop in 2020. Again, Andalusia and Catalonia are the regions with the highest concentration of workers in the sector with 21.8% and 14.1%, respectively. Total for Spain.
The report once again highlights Spain’s value as an export power in the agri-food sector. Overseas sales reached €59,141 million, representing a growth of 10.7% over the previous year. Catalonia and Andalusia concentrate more than 40% of these exports, but the regions outside Spain that have increased their sales the most are the Basque Country and the Balearic Islands, with growth of over 30% in both cases.
In the presentation of the publication, Cajamar president Eduardo Baamonde highlighted the importance of the Valencia Community agri-food sector at the national level, emphasizing it as “a marketing link that represents 51% of the Gross Value Added of agriculture”. -not only the region’s food chain, but also its export power.It is the third group in the number of exporting companies.4,000, 19% more than last year”.
In addition, he noted that between 2013 and 2021, the Valencia Community’s agri-food sector’s GVA grew by 9.7%, placing the community in the fifth place with the largest increase in the national ranking. marketing sector with almost 14%.
Baamonde highlighted some of the challenges facing the Valencian agri-food sector, among them, Aging of farm managers as 90.9% are over 45 years old, which positions it as the highest-numbered community, surpassing the Spanish average of 86%. “The primary sector is losing weight in the chain and the sector is gaining; Including marketer affiliation, the primary sector represents 24%, industry 25% and commerce 51%”.
In addition, “since the renewal of the Valencian Community, it has encouraged all agents in the industry to redouble their efforts in terms of innovation. 4.9% of 698 agri-food innovation projects Developed in Spain in 2021, about 10% will correspond to this due to its weight in the national sector’s GVA.
Source: Informacion
Christina Moncayo is a contributing writer for “Social Bites”. Her focus is on the gaming industry and she provides in-depth coverage of the latest news and trends in the world of gaming.