Less fruit and more vegetables in the EU market, Spain leads the production

Although production of pome fruits declined compared with the previous year, they remained the largest product group (13.5 million tonnes), followed by citrus fruits (10.9 million tonnes) and stone fruits (6.3 million tonnes). The largest producing countries in the EU were Spain (30.1%), Italy (26.2%) and Poland (10.0%). Worldwide, where the latest data is available for 2023, the biggest fruit producers were China, India, Brazil and the EU. Subtropical and tropical fruits accounted for the largest share, followed by citrus fruits, melons and pome fruits.

6,7% more vegetables in 2024

In 2024, the EU harvested 63.8 million tonnes of vegetables (including pulses), which was about 6.7% higher than in 2023. The three main vegetable categories were vegetables cultivated for fruits hierarchy (tomatoes, cucumbers, gherkins, aubergines, pumpkins and peppers) at around 26.3 million tonnes; root vegetables (carrots, onions and other edible roots) at 13.3 million tonnes; and brassicas, leafy and stalked vegetables at 11.1 million tonnes. The largest vegetable producers in the EU were Spain (21.4%), Italy (19.8%), Poland (10.4%) and France (10.1%). At the global level in 2023, the top vegetable producers were China, India, Nigeria and the EU. Among different product groups, root vegetables were the most produced, mainly due to high levels of production in Africa, followed by “fruit” vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, gherkins, aubergines, pumpkins and peppers).

50 million tons of Potatoes, 3,9% more

The EU’s potato production reached 50.0 million tonnes in 2024, an increase of 3.9% compared with 2023. The leading potato-producing countries in the EU were Germany (25.4%), France (18.3%), the Netherlands (12.7%), Poland (11.8%) and Belgium (7.9%). Significant growth was recorded in countries such as Germany, France, Poland and Italy, while Romania continued to experience a decline in production. At the global level, potato production in 2023 was about 383.1 million tonnes. The largest producers were China, India, Ukraine, the United States and Russia. The EU accounted for 12.6% of global potato production in 2023.

EU fruit trade balance

The top 5 exported fruit categories in the EU are apples (28.0%), oranges (9.3%), small citrus fruits (9.0%), pears (8.5%) and watermelons (5.3%). The major export markets are United Kingdom (30.2%), Switzerland (11.6%), Norway (6.0%), Brazil (4.9%), Belarus (4.1%) and Ukraine (4.0%). The top 5 imported products are bananas (39.2%), other sub-tropical fruits (10.7%), oranges (7.3%), avocados (5.9%) and grapes (4.5%). The major fruit supplying countries to the EU are Costa Rica (13.7%), Ecuador (13.1%), Colombia (11.1%) and South Africa (9.2%).

EU vegetables trade balance

The top 5 exported vegetables from the EU are potatoes (28.0%), onions and shallots (27.8%), tomatoes (8.0%), peppers (6.7%) and cucumbers & gherkins (4.9%). The major export markets are the United Kingdom (40.1%), Switzerland (7.3%), and Senegal (6.5%). Top 5 imported products are tomatoes (23.4%), potatoes (22.9%), peppers (9.8%), onions and shallots (9.3%) and sweet potatoes (8.1%). The major supplying countries of vegetables to the EU are Morocco (27.8%), Egypt (23.3%) and Turkey (12.6%).

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