Spain's Increasing Dependence on Moroccan Tomatoes
In the 2023/24 agricultural campaign, Spain has reported an impressive production of over 1.5 million tons of peppers, as highlighted by the Ministry of Agriculture. Despite this notable output, Spanish companies turned to imports, bringing in a staggering 83.34 million kilograms of this vegetable during the first half of 2026. A significant portion of these imports originated from Morocco, which supplied approximately 79.01 million kilograms, accounting for an impressive 94.81% of the total imports. These purchases from Morocco reached a value of €116.33 million, with an average price of €1.47 per kilogram.
The overall import expenditure for this period amounted to €125.68 million, with an average cost of €1.51 per kilogram. A closer look at the figures since 2017 reveals a significant increase in Spain's imports of peppers from Morocco. For instance, during the first half of 2017, Spain imported only 33.74 million kilograms from Morocco. Fast forward to the same period in 2026, and this figure has skyrocketed to 79.01 million kilograms, marking an astonishing increase of 134.15%.
Fresh Produce Imports and Economic Implications
Between January and July 2026, Spain's imports of fresh fruits and vegetables totaled 2.87 million tons, valued at €3.471 billion. Of this quantity, 1.58 million tons valued at €2.49 billion arrived from non-EU countries, while imports from other EU member states accounted for 1.29 million tons worth €980 million. This data underscores the growing importance of non-EU countries, which represented 55% of the total imported volume and 72% of its value, as per analyses from the Customs and Special Taxes Department and FEPEX.
Within the EU framework, suppliers accounted for 45% of the total imported volume and 28% of the economic value. Notably, while imports from these countries saw a slight increase in quantity (up 2% to 1.29 million tons), their overall value declined by 4%, settling at €980 million. France continued to dominate as Spain's principal supplier of fresh fruits and vegetables by volume, providing 681,099 tons from January to July 2026, which is a 4% increase compared to the previous year. Following France were Morocco with 373,958 tons, Costa Rica with 261,041 tons (up 13%), and Peru with 186,886 tons (up 3%). Egypt also made a significant impact, exporting 113,338 tons to Spain, marking a 43% increase year-on-year. In terms of economic value, Morocco led the pack, with sales amounting to €982 million between January and July 2026, reflecting a 5% increase from the previous year.
Despite a slight decrease of 8% in volume for Moroccan imports, the rise in their economic value further emphasizes Morocco's critical role as a primary non-EU supplier of fresh fruits and vegetables to Spain. According to FEPEX, these trends highlight a concerning increase in imports over recent years, especially for strategic crops like tomatoes and peppers, which saw growths of 5% and 18% in volume, respectively, as well as 16.5% and 25% in value.
As reported by okdiario.com.
