The fruit and vegetablesector in the EU - astatistical overview Statistics Explained

Source : Statistics Explained (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statisticsexplained/) - 02/10/2019 1

Data extracted in July and August 2019Planned article update: September 2023

Author: Antonella De Cicco

Area of fruit and vegetable by main producing EU Member State, 2017% of EU-28 Source:Eurostat (apro_cpsh1)

This article describes the fruit and fresh vegetables 1sector in the European Union . A range of agriculturaldata from a number of Eurostat agricultural statistics ( farm structure survey , annual crop production statis-tics, agricultural prices, agricultural economics accounts) are used, in addition to trade statistics, industrialproduction statistics and data on the daily consumption of fruit and vegetables in order to depict the variousstages in the process of bringing fruit and vegetables from fields to the market.

1In this article, as well as in all Eurostat agricultural statistics, the distinction between fruit and vegetables is based on anagronomical and farm management point of view. Thus, the term "vegetables" refers to the horticultural crops: i.e. the species thatare annual (or rarely biennial) and subsequently occupy the arable land for usually less than one production season. Conversely,the term "fruit" stands for the group composed of those crops that are perennial: i.e. the crops that are permanent in the fieldfor more than two years and which are usually bushes or trees. This implies that the fresh vegetables group includes brassica(cauliflowers, broccoli, cabbages), leafy and stalked vegetables (such as lettuce, spinach, chicory, endives, asparagus, artichoke),root and bulb species (carrots, radish, onion, shallots and garlic), fresh pulses (peas, beans) and all the herbaceous crops cultivatedfor their fruits (such as tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, courgettes, cucumbers and gherkins). Following the above-mentioneddistinction, melons, watermelons and strawberries are also included in the main aggregate of fresh vegetables. The fruit groupincludes pome fruits (apples and pears), stone fruits (such as peaches, apricots, plums and cherries), nuts fruits (such as almonds,hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios), subtropical and tropical fruits (kiwi, figs, bananas, etc.), berries (such as blueberries, redcurrants,gooseberries, raspberries, etc.) with the exclusion of strawberries, as aforementioned. For the main aim of this article, citrus fruits(such as oranges, lemons, tangerines, grapefruit) and table grapes are also included.

Where are fruit and vegetables grown in the EU? By how many farms? Over whatarea?About 1.5 million holdings (hereafter termed ’farms’) in the European Union (EU) managed fruitorchards and about 0.8 million farms cultivated fresh vegetables

A little over 1.5 million farms in the EU managed fruit orchards in 2016, which was equivalent to aboutone in every seven (14.8 %) of all the EU’s farms which had some utilised agricultural area . A small majorityof the EU’s farms that had fruit orchards were located in three Member States: Romania (21.6 % of the EUtotal), Spain (17.1 %) and Italy (14.8 %).

However, only about one third (35.4 %) of the EU’s farms that managed fruit orchards in 2016 (some 537400 farms) were specialised2in fruit and citrus cultivation. The remaining one million or so farms on which fruitorchards were managed had their focus of production either as crop specialists, livestock specialists or in mixedfarming.

Farms specialising in fruit and citrus fruit production represented 5.2 % of all the EU’s farms in 2016. Alittle more than three-quarters of these specialist fruit farms were located in five Member States; these wereSpain (28.3 %), Italy (15.7 %), Romania (12.6 %) Greece (10.9 %) and Poland (10.5 %).

It is also worth noting that of the 1.5 million farms that managed fruit orchards in the EU in 2016, almost 62000 farms (4.1 % of the total) managed organic fruit orchards. One third of these organic fruit orchard farmswere found in Italy (34.6 %), with a further one third being split across Spain (17.1 %) and Poland (14.8 %) .

Table1: Holdings producing fruit and vegetable, 2016Source: Eurostat (ef_lac_vege) and(ef_lus_main)

2Farm specialisation is defined according to the EU typology of agricultural holdings, based on the standard output ofagricultural products

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 2

Figure 1: Fruit and vegetable holdings by Member State, 2016 (% of EU-28)Source: Eurostat(ef_lac_vege) and (ef_lus_main)

About 823 000 farms cultivated fresh vegetables across the EU in 2016, which represented 8.0 % of all the EU’sfarms which had some utilised agricultural area. One half of these farms were located in just three MemberStates; one quarter (26.0 %) were in Romania, and a further one quarter across Poland (14.4 %) and Spain(13.1 %) (Table 1 and Figure 1).

Specialisation in fresh vegetable production is less widespread than it is for fruit. Bearing in mind that theclassification for specialist horticulture farms also includes farms that produce flowers and ornamental plantsin addition to fresh vegetables, there were only 191 000 farms in the EU that were classified as specialist horti-culture holdings3; about one half of these specialist farms were spread across Spain (16.6 %), Poland (13.6 %),Italy (11.2 %) and Romania (11.0 %).

There were relatively few farms in the EU growing organic fresh vegetables in 2016; of the 27 000 farms(3.3 % of all fresh vegetables farms), one quarter (24.1 %) were found in Italy.

3.4 million hectares in the EU dedicated to growing fruit — two-fifths in Spain – with almondtrees and apple trees the most cultivated

Almost 3.4 million hectares of land were planted to fruit in the EU in 2017, representing 1.9 % of all utilisedagricultural land (Table 2). Nut orchards accounted for one third (33.8 %) of the total area of fruit, pome fruitorchards (apples and pears) a further one fifth (19.2 %) of the total, stone fruit orchards another one fifth (18.6%), and citrus fruit orchards about one seventh (14.9 %) of the total. The remaining area planted to fruit wassplit between berries (4.5 % of the total fruit area), the diverse group of tropical & subtropical fruits whichmainly includes kiwi, but also figs and bananas (4.1 %), and table grapes (2.8 %).

3Horticulture specialisation includes the production of flowers and ornamental plants besides edible vegetables

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 3

Table 2: Area of fruit and vegetable, 2017Source: Eurostat (apro_cpsh1)

Figure2: Area of fruit and vegetable by main producing EU Member State, 2017% of EU-28Source: Eurostat (apro_cpsh1)

Spain accounted for by far the highest proportion (40.1 %) of area within the EU devoted to fruit productionin 2017, reflecting its production of nuts and citrus fruit. Italy accounted for the next highest share (17.5 %),followed by Poland (9.6 %).

Almond orchards were the single species occupying the largest fruit area in the EU in 2017: 743 000 hectares(22.5 % of the EU fruit area), of which 85.2 % were in Spain (the world’s third largest almond producer afterthe United States of America and Australia).

Apple orchards were the second most common single species, accounting for 15.5 % of the total fruit areaof the EU. Apples were grown in every Member State. Nearly one third (31.1 %) of the EU’s apple orchardswere in Poland, a Member State where apples accounted for one half (50.2 %) of its total fruit area. A further

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 4

one third of the EU’s apple orchards were found across Italy (11.0 %), Romania (10.6 %) and France (9.6 %).The share of apple orchard area in Romania was much higher than its equivalent share (3.4 %) of the Europeanapple harvest. A majority of the EU’s apple production came from Poland (24.3 %), Italy (19.0 %) and France(17.2 %).

Fresh vegetables were grown on almost 2.2 million hectares in the EU, nearly half of whichwas in Italy, Spain and Poland combined

About 2.2 million hectares of land in the EU was used to produce fresh vegetables in 2017, the equivalentof 1.2 % of all the EU’s utilised agricultural land (Table 2). Note that melon and strawberry production is alsoincluded in these figures4.

The group of fresh vegetables that comprises tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, melons, courgettes, cucumbersand gherkins accounted for a little over one quarter (27.1 %) of this total area. Root, tuber & bulb vegetables,such as carrots, radishes, onions, shallots and garlic accounted for a further one fifth (20.3 %) of the total,followed closely (18.1 %) by the diverse group of leafy and stalked vegetables (such as lettuce, spinach, chicory,endives, asparagus, artichokes, etc.). Fresh pulses (mainly peas and beans) were produced on 13.6 % of theEU’s fresh vegetables area, brassicas (cabbages, cauliflowers and broccoli) on 12.5 % and strawberries on 4.9 %.

The areas planted to fresh vegetables in Italy (17.8 % of the EU total), Spain (17.3 %), France (11.8 %)and Poland (10.8 %) were considerably more than other Member States and together represented a clear ma-jority of the area planted to fresh vegetables in the EU in 2017.

At the level of individual fresh vegetables, the area planted for tomato production (10.8 % of the EU’s to-tal fresh vegetables area) was greater than that of any other fresh vegetable. The cultivation of tomatoes inthe EU was based on areas planted in Italy (38.4 % of the EU total) and in Spain (25.2 %), and to a lesserdegree in Romania (9.2 %) and Portugal (8.7. %). A majority of the EU’s tomato production was harvested inItaly (32.0 %) and Spain (29.7 %), with a further one tenth coming from Portugal (10.0 %). Despite the areaplanted to tomatoes in Romania, it only accounted for 2.5% of the EU’s tomato harvest. This contrasted withthe situation in the Netherlands, which supplied 5.2 % of the EU’s tomato harvest despite cultivating it on only0.7 % of the EU’s overall tomato area.

Onions were the second most cultivated fresh vegetable, accounting for 8.1 % of the EU’s total fresh veg-etables area. The key onion producing Member States were the Netherlands (19.0 % of the EU’s total onionarea and 26.4 % of its production), Poland (14.7 % and 9.9 % respectively) and Spain (14.1 % and 19.5 %respectively).

Output valuesEU production of fruit and fresh vegetables in 2017 valued at EUR 57.5 billion

The total value of the EU’s output of fruit and fresh vegetables at basic prices (i.e. including subsidies butexcluding taxes on products) was EUR 57.5 billion in 20175(Table 3, Figure 3). This represented 13.9 % of thevalue of all the agricultural goods and services produced in the EU. The value of fresh vegetables produced inthe EU was EUR 34.5 billion in 2017 and that of fruit was EUR 22.9 billion.

Spain (24.4 %) and Italy (18.5 %) together accounted for about two-fifths of the total value of the EU’s fruitand fresh vegetables production in 2017. However, the relative share of fruit and fresh vegetables productionwithin the total value of agricultural output was highest in Greece (32.2 %) and lowest in Luxembourg (0.6 %).

4See footnote 1

5At the level of the EU, the impact of subsidies on the basic price values of fresh fruit and vegetables production was theequivalent of 0.83 % and 0.25 % respectively.

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 5

Table 3: Fruit and vegetable production value, 2017 Source: Eurostat (aact_eaa01)

Figure 3: Fruit and vegetable production value by main producing Member State, 2017% ofEU-28 Source: Eurostat (aact_eaa01)

Tomatoes and apples are the most valuable fresh products

Tomato production in the EU was valued at EUR 7.3 billion in 2017, accounting for one fifth (21.1 %) ofthe value of total fresh vegetables production. The contribution of tomatoes to the total value of fresh vegeta-bles produced in each Member State in 2017 varied greatly but was highest in Poland (41.9 %) and Bulgaria(34.2 %). Nevertheless, it was the value of tomato production in Spain (24.9 %), Poland (14.3 %) and Italy(13.9 %) that accounted for a little more than one half (53.2 %) of the EU total. (Table 3bis and Figure 3bisin Excel file enclosed) .

The production of apples6in the EU in 2017 was valued at EUR 3.8 billion, accounting for 16.5 % of thevalue of EU-28’s fruit production. The contribution of apples to the total value of fruit produced in each Mem-ber State in 2017 was highest in Slovakia (70.6 %), Luxembourg (66.1 % ) and Czechia (65.3 %). Nevertheless,it was the value of apple production in France (22.9 %), Poland (17.6 %) and Italy (17.0 %) that accounted for

6Dessert apples, i.e. apples for fresh consumption. Thus, apples for processing are not included.

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 6

about three fifths of the EU total.

TradeFresh fruit and vegetables were traded mainly on the European market: Spain was the leadingtrader

Member States export fruit and fresh vegetables7to other Member States within the EU and to countriesoutside the EU. However, the trade flow of fruit and fresh vegetables within the EU was eight times bigger interms of value than the export flow to non EU-countries in 2017: EUR 36.8 billion compared with EUR 4.6billion.

Table 4: Intra EU-28 Export of fruit and vegetable, 20171000 EUR, 1000 tonnesSource: EurostatDS-016894 and DS-016890

The intra-EU trade in fruit accounted for 57.2 % of the total value of the internal trade in fruit and fresh veg-etables in 2017. Among fruit, the value of the intra-EU trade in citrus fruit as a whole was highest (representing12.3 % of the total value of fruit and fresh vegetables). Among the fresh vegetables, the value of the intra-EUtrade in the grouping of crops within ’other vegetables’8was highest (representing 13.9 % of the total value offruit and fresh vegetables). In terms of a single crop, rather than a grouping of crops, the value of the intra-EU

7The HS nomenclature in use for trade statistics groups strawberries among berries and melon & water melon together withpapayas. Both aggregates are then nested in the higher level aggregate "Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melon".

8Other vegetables, fresh or chilled (excl. potatoes, tomatoes, alliaceous vegetables (onions and garlic), edible brassicas, lettuce"Lactuca sativa" and chicory "Cichorium spp.", carrots, turnips, salad beetroot, salsify, celeriac, radishes and similar edible roots,cucumbers and gherkins, and leguminous vegetables). This means that, among others, the following crops are included: asparagus,artichokes, aubergines, peppers, courgettes, spinach, etc.

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 7

trade in tomatoes was highest in 2017 (accounting for 9.4 % of the total value of fruit and fresh vegetables),followed by apples (4.7 %) and oranges (4.4 %).

Three Member States accounted for more than two-thirds of intra-EU exports in value terms; these wereSpain (33.3 %), the Netherlands9(26.8 %) and Italy (10.9 %).

The intra-EU export of specific fruit and vegetables was dominated by some Member States: Spain accountedfor a majority of the value of intra-EU exports of citrus fruit (64.4 % of the total value), of melons and wa-termelons (53.7 %), of apricots, cherries and peaches (51.9 %) as well as of lettuce and chicory (51.1 %); theNetherlands accounted for the highest share in tomatoes (45.5 %); and, Italy for the highest share in intra-EUexports of apples and pears and quinces (29.9 %) to Europe.

The EU is a net importer of fresh fruit and vegetables from non-EU countries. Nuts and bananaseach accounted for about 20 % of the value of total fresh fruit and vegetables imports in 2017

The EU imported fruit and vegetables from third countries to the value of EUR 20.1 billion in 2017, withimports of fruit dominating (accounting for 84.7 % of the total value). In more detail, the import values of freshand dried nuts (20.0 % of the total value of fresh fruit and vegetables extra-EU imports), bananas (19.5 %), thegrouping of dates, figs, pineapples and avocados (14.2 %), citrus fruit (9.9 %) and grapes (9.1 %) were highest.

Table 5: Extra EU-28 Export and import of fruit and vegetable, 20171000 EURSource: EurostatDS-016894 and DS-016890

9The relatively high share for the Netherlands might, at least in part, be explained by the considerable amount of goods thatflow into and out of the EU through Rotterdam, which is the EU’s leading sea port (the so –called Rotterdam-effect, see alsoInternational trade statistics - background ). The same applies to Belgium, due to Antwerpen sea port.

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 8

Figure 4: Extra EU-28 trade of fruit and vegetable by main groups, 2017EUR millionSource:Eurostat DS-016894

Fruit and vegetables were imported from a large number of countries, scattered around the globe. However, alittle more than two-fifths (44.8 %) of the total imported value came from just five countries: the United States(11.9 %), South Africa (8.9 %), Turkey (8.7 %), Morocco (8.2 %) and Costa Rica (7.0 %).

There was clear specialisation in the market both for fruit and fresh vegetables.

Regarding fruit:

• three-quarters of extra-EU nuts imported came from just the United States (55.8 % in value terms in2017) and Turkey (17.3 %);

• two-thirds of bananas came from Central and South America (Colombia accounting for 24.2 %, Ecuadorfor 23.2 %, and Costa Rica for 19.0 %);

• almost half of dates, figs, pineapple and avocados came from just Costa Rica (20.9 %), Peru (18.5 %) andChile (8.5 %);

• about one third of citrus fruits came from South Africa (34.3 % in value terms), with an additional thirdfrom the combined imports from Morocco (10.4 %), Argentina (9.8. %), Turkey (7.8 %) and Egypt (7.2%);

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 9

• grapes were mostly imported from South Africa (28.9 %), Turkey (18.5 %) and Chile (13.6 %);

• fresh strawberries and other berries were mainly supplied by New Zealand (18.1 %), Morocco (16.6 %)and Chile (16.1 %).

• more than three-quarters of apples and pears came from just Chile (30.0 % in value terms), South Africa(26.3 %) and New Zealand (22.7 %);

• four-fifths of cherries, apricots, plums and peaches originated from Turkey (35.6 %), South Africa (27.6%) and Chile (16.3 %).

Regarding vegetables:

• Morocco was the EU’s main third country supplier of tomatoes (75.2 % in value terms in 2017), freshpulses (48.1 %), and the composite group of other vegetables (26.6 %);

• Kenya was the main non-EU supplier of cabbages (45.1 % of the value of extra-EU imports);

• Israel was the main non-EU supplier of carrots (41.1 %);

• Turkey was the leading supplier of cucumbers (30.9 %), China of onions and garlic (27.0 %) and Egypt oflettuce (24.2 %).

Switzerland was the largest export destination of the EU’s fruit and vegetables

EU exports of fruit and vegetables to non-EU countries were valued at EUR 4.7 billion in 2017. Being muchless than the value of imports, the EU had a trade deficit of EUR 15.5 billion in fruit and fresh vegetables in 2017.

The EU exported apples and pears to the value of EUR 0.9 billion in 2017, the main importers being Be-larus (20.0 % in value terms), Brazil and the Saudi Arabia (8.7 % each). It exported fresh strawberries andberries to the value of EUR 0.7 billion and citrus fruits to the value of EUR 0.5 billion, with Switzerland beingthe principal destination (27.2 % and 29.1 % respectively in value terms).

In terms of the total value of extra-EU exports of fruit and fresh vegetables, the main destinations wereSwitzerland (22.9 % of the total) Norway (11.9 %), Belarus (8.3 %), the United States (6.5 %) and United ArabEmirates (4.6 %).

A majority of fruit and vegetable exports from the EU were transported by road (56.0 % of the total value),although one-third (34.3 %) also went by sea, and one-tenth (9.7 %) by air. In contrast, about three-quartersof the value of extra-EU imports of fruit and vegetables arrived by sea (73.3 % of the total value), one-fifth byroad (19.2 %) and and the rest by air (6.8 %).

ProcessingProcessed fruit and vegetables were worth EUR 51.5 billion, or 6.5 % of the overall value of theEU food industry’s output. Processing is concentrated in five countries

Besides being consumed directly and traded as raw commodities, fruit and vegetables are also processed intoa wide range of food products. These can be grouped into frozen, dried and preserved fruits and vegetables(canned vegetables, jams, marmalades and dried fruits) (72.5 % of sold production), juices (19.6 %), tomatoketchup (3.2 %), prepared meals (4.1 %) and the grouping of drained fruits and homogenised vegetables andfruits (1.3 %) (Table 6).

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 10

Table 6: EU-28’s Sold production, Exports and Imports by groups of processed products,2017Million EURSource: Eurostat DS-066341

In terms of specific products, the highest production values were for non-concentrated orange juice (excludingfrozen) with a share of 4.2 % of the total of processed fruit and vegeatbles, followed by tomato ketchup (3.2 %)and apple juice (2.9 %).

Although fruit and vegetable processing took place throughout the EU, five Member States were responsi-ble for over two-thirds (69.1 %) of the total value of production in 2017; they were Italy (22.3 %), Spain (15.1%), Germany (11.8 %), France (10.2 %) and the United Kingdom (9.8 %).

The EU as a whole was a net importer of processed fruit and vegetables, but some Member States did recordtrade surpluses, including Spain and Italy.

Source data for tables and graphsThe EU fruit and fresh vegetables sector tables and figures

Data sourcesStatistics on crop production

Statistics on crop products are obtained by sample surveys, supplemented by administrative data and estimatesbased on expert observations. The sources vary from one EU Member State to another because of nationalconditions and statistical practices. National statistical institutes or Ministries of Agriculture are responsiblefor data collection in accordance with EC Regulations. The finalised data sent to Eurostat are as harmonisedas possible. Eurostat is responsible for establishing EU aggregates. The statistics collected on agriculturalproducts cover more than 100 individual crop products. Information is collected for the area under cultivation(expressed in 1 000 hectares), the quantity harvested (expressed in 1 000 tonnes) and the yield (expressed in100 kg per hectare). For some products, data at a national level may be supplemented by regional statistics atNUTS level 1 or level 2.

Statistics on the structure of agricultural holdings (FSS)

A comprehensive Farm structure survey (FSS) is carried out by EU Member States every 10 years (the fullscope being the agricultural census) and intermediate sample surveys are carried out twice between these ba-sic surveys. The statistical unit is the agricultural holding; the EU Member States collect information fromindividual agricultural holdings, covering:

• land use;

• livestock numbers;

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 11

• rural development (for example, activities other than agriculture);

• management and farm labour input (including age, sex and relationship to the holder).

Survey data are aggregated to different geographic levels (countries, regions, and for basic surveys also districts)and arranged by size class, area status, legal status of holding, objective zone and farm type. In the FSS organicdata has been collected since the 2000 Census.

Economic accounts for agriculture (EAA)

Data on EAA provide an insight into:

• the economic viability of agriculture;

• agriculture’s contribution to each EU Member State’s wealth;

• the structure and composition of agricultural production and inputs;

• the remuneration of factors of production;

• relationships between prices and quantities of both inputs and outputs.

The output of agricultural activity includes output sold (including trade in agricultural goods and services be-tween agricultural units), changes in stocks, output for own final use (own final consumption and own-accountgross fixed capital formation), output produced for further processing by agricultural producers, as well asintra-unit consumption of livestock feed products. The output of the agricultural sector is made up of the sumof the output of agricultural products and of the goods and services produced in inseparable non-agriculturalsecondary activities; animal and crop output are the main product categories of agricultural output. Eurostatalso collects annual agricultural prices (in principle net of VAT) to compare agricultural price levels betweenEU Member States and to study sales channels. Quarterly and annual price indices for agricultural productsand the means of agricultural production, on the other hand, are used principally to analyse price developmentsand their effect on agricultural income. Selling prices are recorded at the first marketing stage (excluding trans-port). Agricultural price indices are obtained by a base-weighted Laspeyres calculation (2010 = 100), and areexpressed in nominal terms or as deflated indices based on the use of an implicit consumer prices (HICP) deflator.

COMEXT database on EU trade

COMEXT is the Eurostat reference database for international trade. It provides access not only to bothrecent and historical data from the EU Member States but also to statistics of a significant number of thirdcountries. International trade aggregated and detailed statistics disseminated from the Eurostat website arecompiled from COMEXT data according to a monthly process. Because COMEXT is updated on a daily basis,data published on the website may differ from data stored in COMEXT in case of recent revisions. EU data arecompiled according to community guidelines and may, therefore, differ from national data published by MemberStates. Statistics on extra-EU trade are calculated as the sum of trade of each of the 28 Member States withcountries outside the EU. In other words, the EU is considered as a single trading entity and trade flows aremeasured into and out of the area, but not within it. The importance of the EU’s internal market is underlinedby the fact that the proportion of intra-EU trade in goods is higher than extra-EU trade in goods in most EUMember States with few exceptions. The variation in the proportion of total trade in goods accounted for byintra-EU trade reflects to some degree historical ties and geographical location.

PRODCOM, database on the production of manufactured goods

PRODCOM is the European Union (EU) survey providing statistics on the production of manufactured goods.The Prodcom survey covers the mining, quarrying and manufacturing sectors, in other words, NACE Rev. 2Sections B and C. Prodcom statistics are based on a list of products called the Prodcom list which consistsof more than 3 800 headings, and which is revised every year. In the list, products are detailed at an 8-digitlevel — only information at this detailed level can be found in the Prodcom database, as production data fordifferent products cannot always be meaningfully aggregated. The purpose of Prodcom statistics is to report,for each product in the Prodcom list, how much production has been sold during the reference period. Thismeans that Prodcom statistics relate to products (not to activities) and are therefore not strictly comparablewith activity-based statistics such as structural business statistics.Sometimes the data for some products cannotbe reported, for instance if an enterprise cannot report the volume in the required measurement unit. In thesecases, either the national statistical office or Eurostat makes estimates so that complete EU totals can be pub-lished. In some cases the national statistical authority requests that the data for a particular product be kept

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 12

confidential. This can happen, for instance, if there is only one producer in the country so that the publisheddata refers directly to that producer. Eurostat is legally bound to respect such confidentiality, but may use theconfidential amount in EU totals, as long as it is not revealed by doing so. If this is not possible, the EU totalis rounded so that an approximate figure can be given without revealing the confidential data. The roundingbase is also shown in order to indicate the range of possible true values of the total.

ContextThis article describes the fruit and vegetable sector in the European Union. The overall aim is to offer thereaders a statistical overview on a single commodity, vertically linking all the steps from the field to market.The food chain approach is indeed one of the key issues within the EU Commission as for its socio-economicimportance and for the extensive legislative EU framework, which is one of the most EU-level harmonised (e.g.General Food law Regulation (EC) No 178/2002) . In addition, it is of great relevance also within internationalorganisations such as, among others, OECD.

See also• The EU potato sector - statistics on production, prices and trade

• Agricultural production - crops

• Industrial production statistics introduced - PRODCOM

Main tables• Agriculture

• International trade

Database• Agriculture

• Prodcom

• International trade

• Health

Dedicated section• Agriculture

• Prodcom

• International trade

• Health

Publications• Agriculture, forestry and fishery statistics — 2016 edition (Statistical book)

• Agriculture, forestry and fishery statistics — 2015 edition

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 13

Methodology• Crops products: areas and production (ESMS metadata file — apro_acs_esms)

• Farm structure survey (ESMS metadata file — ef_esms)

• Absolute agricultural prices (ESMS metadata file — apri_ap_esms)

• Economic Accounts for Agriculture (ESMS metadata file — aact_esms)

• Price indices of agricultural products (ESMS metadata file — apri_pi_esms)

• International trade data (ESMS metadata file — ext_esms)

• Prodcom - Statistics on the production of manufactured goods (Publication - Prodcom User Guide)

• Statistics on the production of manufactured goods (ESMS metadata file — prom_esms)

• European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) (ESMS metadata file —hlth_det_esms)

The fruit and vegetable sector in the EU - a statistical overview 14