Italian fruit and vegetable exports reached the €5 billion mark last year, growing by 3% compared to 2016, setting a historical record for the sector. The figures come from Fruitimprese, the national association of fruit and vegetable exporters and importers, and are based on official Istat data for 2017.

Although the value of Italian exports is growing, exported volumes are down by 6% to about 4 million tonnes. On the other hand, imports are also growing, both in volume (7.4%) and in value (3%). In regards to volume, there has been a growth for dried fruit (6.4%) while vegetables (-10.3%), fresh fruit (-4.7%) and citrus fruit (-16.1%) have all seen a drop. In terms of value, there has been a positive performance by vegetables (0.3%) and fresh fruit (6.1%), and a negative trend for citrus fruits (-10.2%) and dried fruit (-1.4%).