Be the first to comment!2nd quarter volume of fresh fruit & veg up but value drops
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Figures from the National Statistics Office show that during the second quarter, the volume of fresh fruit and vegetables advanced by 10.1 per cent, while the wholesale value declined by 1.0 per cent, when compared to the corresponding quarter last year.
The supply of fresh fruit and vegetables for the second quarter this year amounted to 13.1 million kilograms, an increase of 10.1 per cent over the second quarter last year. However, the wholesale value decreased by 1.0 per cent, from €5.6 million in the second quarter in 2010 to €5.5 million.
When compared to the second quarter last year, the supply of fresh vegetables rose by 8.9 per cent to 12.0 million kilograms. Increases were registered in the supply of Cauliflowers (+42.5 per cent), Sugar Melons (+32.9 per cent), Lettuce (+14.3 per cent) and Potatoes (+12.6 per cent). The supply of Tomatoes and Watermelons dropped by 18.4 and 10.7 per cent respectively. The wholesale value of fresh vegetables edged up by 1.0 per cent to €4.5 million.
Fresh fruit supply for the second quarter advanced by 25.7 per cent, mainly on account of an increase in the availablility of Peaches (+69.2 per cent) and Strawberries (+7.2 per cent). The wholesale value of fresh fruit dropped by 9.2 per cent to €1.0 million.
Maltese farmers supplied 12.1 million kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables for a total wholesale value of €5.0 million. Overall, farmers on the mainland contributed 92.4 per cent of the total amount of fruit and vegetables on the market.
Gozitan farmers supplied the remaining 7.6 per cent, 1.0 million kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables. The wholesale value went up by 7.1 per cent over the comparative quarter last year.
The quarterly ‘All Items’ fresh fruit price index for the second quarter dropped by 36.15 points (-23.3 per cent) to stand at 118.88 points. Concurrently, the quarterly fresh fruit volume index advanced by 32 points, or 25.7 per cent.
The quarterly ‘All Items’ fresh vegetables price index declined by 6.53 points (-6.3 per cent) from 104.46 points in the second quarter of 2010 to 97.93 points this year. On the other hand, the ‘All Items’ fresh vegetables volume index increased by 7.4 points (+6.8 per cent) to 116.81 points in the second quarter of 2011.
