According to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) compiled by Portugal Fresh, the Association for the Promotion of Portuguese Fruit, Vegetables, and Flowers, sales to foreign markets totalled €1.226 billion in the first half of the year, while export volume reached 747,000 tonnes.

Conversely, imports rose by 4.2% in value and 2.8% in volume, the association added in a statement.

As a result, the trade deficit for the fruit, vegetable, and flower sector widened to over €300 million, up from the €197 million recorded in the same period of the previous year and nearly double the deficit seen the year before that (€178 million).

“The reason for this decline lies in the severe losses caused by the succession of storms that battered the country (Ingrid, Joseph, and Kristin), resulting in destroyed crops, damaged greenhouses, and unusable irrigation systems,” Portugal Fresh stated.

The association had previously warned of the foreseeable consequences of this series of storms, which “led to lower product availability for international markets and, consequently, a drop in exports that is evident in this first half of the year.”

Quoted in the statement, the president of Portugal Fresh confirmed that “the first-half figures were expected” and highlighted the “heavy losses for producers, given the minimal aid provided by the European Union and the government.”

While also viewing the worsening trade balance as “concerning,” Gonçalo Santos Andrade believes that by the end of the year, it will be possible to reach the €2.6 billion export milestone achieved in 2025.

Portugal Fresh highlights this year as “very challenging” for producers and exporters in the national agri-food sector, lamenting the “lack of support” for the industry—especially when compared to its main competitor, Spain, which “received subsidies for fertilisers and agricultural diesel to offset the impact of the Middle East conflict.”

“Our main export destination is Spain; of the €1.2 billion exported in the first half of the year, it accounts for 37% of the total (€446 million),” the association notes. Conversely, Spain is also the domestic market’s primary supplier of fruit, vegetables, and flowers, with purchases totalling €870 million—representing 57% of imports.

“All told, the trade balance with our main international client shows a deficit of over €400 million,” the association points out, maintaining that “while competing on the global stage is already challenging, doing so in the Iberian market is becoming practically impossible.”

In this regard, Gonçalo Santos Andrade emphasises that Portuguese producers compete “using very different financial tools than Spanish producers,” all while facing sharply rising costs due to the Middle East conflict: “The disparity in support for the sector is vast,” he concludes.

Despite the first-half slump, Portugal Fresh views the remainder of the year “with confidence,” convinced that domestic production “is well-positioned to regain its usual momentum.”

“Exports have room to recover by year-end, driven by the recognised quality of Portuguese products and sustained demand in key destination markets: Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom,” the association maintains. Established in December 2010,
Portugal Fresh has 112 members representing approximately 5,000 farmers, with a mission to “highlight the ‘Portugal’ origin and the characteristics of national products, in addition to promoting fruits, vegetables, and flowers in both domestic and international markets.”