According to Eurostat data, Poland’s frozen fruit exports during the first seven months of this year increased by 16 percent, reaching 221 thousand tonnes; the highest figure since 2010. This was achieved despite the enforcement of the Russian embargo and mainly due to increased demand in the European Union, as reported by analysts of Bank BGZ BNP Paribas.
European Union statistics show that exports of these products from Poland to the EU-27 between January and July 2015 amounted to 183 thousand tonnes, about 21 percent more than in the same period last year. As for countries outside the EU, Poland shipped 37 thousand tonnes of frozen fruit, which is 2 percent less than last year.
The growth in the export of frozen fruit was largely driven by an increase in strawberry sales, which amounted to 80.4 thousand tonnes, compared to 57.9 thousand tonnes in the same period of the previous year (an increase of nearly 39 percent). On the one hand, this was the result of Poland’s high production and relatively low prices on the EU market, and on the other hand, to a higher demand resulting from a reduction in the supply of frozen strawberries from non-EU countries. According to Eurostat data, imports of frozen strawberries from China to the EU during the period at hand decreased by as much as 64 percent and amounted to slightly more than 5 thousand tonnes. Furthermore, imports from Morocco dropped by 7.5 percent, to 50.2 thousand tonnes.
Polish raspberry exports were also characterised by a high growth rate, reaching the highest volume of the past six years. Shipments amounted to 36 thousand tonnes, which is 20 percent more than last year. This growth was boosted by the high demand for frozen raspberries on the EU market. The export of frozen raspberries to non-EU countries (mainly Serbia) increased by 9.5 percent, to 50.5 thousand tonnes.
