Lettuce is one of the most exported fresh products of the Murcia region

In recent years, the export of Spanish lettuce has shown positive dynamics, reaching 721 million euros in 2019.

The 16,000 of the 35,000 hectares dedicated to lettuce cultivation in Spain are located in the Region of Murcia. The Campo de Cartagena and Valle del Guadalentín regions show higher production volumes.

In 2019, the production of this vegetable totaled 430,500 tons in the Region of Murcia (82 percent of the total adds iceberg lettuce and 18 percent romaine lettuce and others).

Meanwhile in 1975, around 55,000 tons of lettuce were grown in the region, thanks to the water from the Tajo-Segura Transfer and the introduction of the iceberg variety, the production increased to 330,000 tons, and in 2017 it exceeded 400,000 tons.

Lettuce is the most outstanding product of the region's fruit and vegetable export. 80 percent of exported lettuce is consumed in the countries of the European Union. Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France and Italy are among the main consumers of the product.

The campaign "Lettuces and salads of the Region of Murcia" which was launched by the Community of Murcia last December, with the aim of promoting the consumption of leafy vegetables, will run throughout 2021. It was presented by Antonio Luengo, Minister of Agriculture of the Region of Murcia, and Juan Marín Bravo, President of Proexport, an association integrated into FEPEX.

Fernando P. Gómez, director of Proexport, believes that the investigation resulted in the different varieties that are now grown, showing the professionalization of the sector, which has 14 fruit and vegetable experimentation centers in Murcia.

source: fepex