According to data revealed by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), which shows a growth of 10.4% in August 2020 when compared to August 2019, exports from the agri-food sector are growing.
Also in the accumulated result, that is, from January 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020, when compared to the same period last year, the data is positive with a growth in exports by 3.2%.
In the cumulative period from January to August, when compared to the same period in 2019, exports in this sector jumped by 7.1%. When comparing August 2019 with the same period in 2020, the growth is double-digit: 24.6%.
Exports of the agri-food complex in the accumulated for August 2020 registered a growth from 4,297 million euros to 4,443 million euros, that is, a growth of 146 million euros.
As for the evolution of the trade balance of the complete agri-food sector, there is a drop from 2,666 million euros in August 2019 to 2,167 million euros for August 2020.
By product type, “live animals” is the fastest growing agricultural product: 98.1% in August when compared to August 2019 and 15.5% year-to-date (January to August). This is followed by “meats and offal, edible” with a growth of 34.7% (August – year-on-year) and 11.8% (January to August).
Then the “fruits, citrus peel and melons” with a growth of 18.5% (August – year-on-year) and 7.2% (January to August).
The “wines and musts” grew 8.3% in August and 2.3% in the cumulative period from January to August, when compared to the same period of the previous year.
In August, products such as “milk, dairy products, poultry eggs and natural honey” also have a positive evaluation, with a significant growth of 19.4%, although in the accumulated they still show negative results of 3.1%. Also the vegetables, plants, roots and tubers are growing 5.7% in the same month of August, but with a negative balance of 3.7% in the accumulated.
The Minister of Agriculture, Maria do Céu Antunes, commented on these data stating that they are “very positive, reflecting the resilience and work capacity of Portuguese farmers and the entire agri-food sector”.