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The European Union (EU) is the biggest agri-food exporter in the world, a new report by the European commission has found.
EU agricultural product exports increased by 5.7% last year and reached €129bn.
This secured the EU as the world’s first agri-food exporter with net trade surplus of €16bn.
The entire output of the EU’s agricultural sector was valued at €410bn last year.
Phil Hogan, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, commented on the report: "Our trade performance continues to be a real good news story for the EU agri-food sector. Our high production standards and commitment to quality food and drink products ensure continuing global demand. We have directed significant resources towards making the most of these opportunities, including an increased global promotion budget, and a number of new and exciting trade opportunities.
"In the coming months, I hope to see further export growth for Europe's farmers and agri-food businesses, and the Commission will support them every step of the way. Every €100,000 of exports supports one rural job on average so the EU's good agri-food export performance is good for jobs and growth in rural areas."
Farmers seeing the benefit
The news of a 5.7% increase in exports was welcomed by Copa-Cogeca. However, it said that EU farmers should be benefiting more from this gain.
Secretary general Pekka Pesonen said: “Farmers’ incomes are only on average half the level of average earnings in the EU and they fell again last year, being hit by low prices and high input costs. Their incomes are constantly being squeezed by processors and retailers. This has to stop. We need a fair, transparent and functioning food supply chain.”
Copa-Cogeca, the organisation which represents farmers from across Europe, also called for written contracts between “producers processors and retailers that are enforced to ensure farmers are given a fair price for their produce and are paid on time.”
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