The evolution of the Spanish cucumber exports in the last lustrum is well-known. In 2003, the sendings from Spain mainly were focused to Germany (42 per cent). The Netherlands follows it (16 per cent) and the United Kingdom (13 per cent). France and Czech Republic respectively acquired 30,000 and 17,000 tons of this cucurbitaceous.
Almería is the most important zone of Spanish cucumber (cucumber type). In 2003 since September to March inclusively, 181,000 tons were exported. A lustrum later, there is an increase that surpasses the 50 per cent in the export being 275,000 tons.
At the present time, Germany is the main destination with a share of market of the 45 per cent. In fact, the Germans are the greater consumers of cucumber of the European Union with a demand per capita of 3.3 kilograms per year. This situation allows it to receive the 55 per cent of the imports of this product in the EU.
With this demand and figurers, it is not strange that this destination marks the commercial conjuncture of this line of product in the euro zone and the season periods of the supply. The cucumber is one of the majority products among the German homes and in fact nearly the 80 per cent of the Germans sometimes consumes during the week.
Not in vain, this vegetable is in the third place of horticultural preferences of consumption among the Germans, only opposite tomatoes and leaf products.
The Germanic market is followed by the British and Holland ones with 13 and 12 per cent, respectively. In spite of these data the purchases of the Dutch market have decreased again from 33,000 tons to 28,524 tons, a 13.5 per cent less. Against, the Czech Republic increases its purchases to 10,143 tons.
This product does not keep the good economic results that they were reached in the two previous campaigns. The average price between September of 2007 and July of 2008 was of 0.39 euros.
Granada
Cucumber is the product with greater introduction in the coast of Granada that has increased in the last years.
Respecting to the exports of this cucurbitaceous to the European Union by the fruits and vegetable companies located in this geographic zone; in 2003 65,000 tons were sent opposite to the 47,000 tons in the same period of the last year. This figure means an increase close to the 40 per cent.
A lustrum later, Granada sends 193,000 tons, being the agricultural product of this Andalusian province that most exports when meaning something more of the 60 per cent of the total.
By countries, the export has been centred mainly in Germany that has received more than the 45 per cent of the total. It is followed by France and the Netherlands and behind the United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark and Italy, among others.
Spain really keeps on being leader like cucumber supplier in the EU, since other zones as Turkey or Morocco have not amount enough to compete with the production of Almería and Granada.
