Fruit and veg index up by 1.5 per cent

The volume of fresh fruit and vegetables that passed through official markets amounted to 8.3 million kilograms, yielding €4.0 million. This represents an increase of 1.5 per cent in weight and a 3.1 per cent decline in the wholesale value over the corresponding period in 2012.

The supply of fresh vegetables went up by 1.9 per cent to 7.9 million kilograms over the comparative quarter. Increases were registered in the supply of Carrots (+18.1 per cent), Cabbages (+8.2 per cent) and Dry onions (+5.3 per cent). On the other hand, the wholesale value of fresh vegetables decreased by 2.8 per cent to €3.7 million.

Fresh fruit supplied decreased by 7.2 per cent mainly on account of a decline in the availability of Sweet Oranges (-10.1 per cent) and Oranges (-1.5 per cent). Similarly, the wholesale value of fresh fruit fell by 6.3 per cent, to €0.3 million.

Maltese farmers supplied 7.6 million kilograms of fruit and vegetables; an increase of 2.2 per cent over the corresponding period in 2012. During the quarter under review, the wholesale value of fresh fruit and vegetables declined by 2.0 per cent to €3.5 million.

This produce represented 91.7 per cent of the total supply of fresh fruit and vegetables. Gozitan farmers supplied 0.7 million kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables or 8.3 per cent of the total supply. The volume of fresh fruit and vegetables declined by 5.6 per cent.

Likewise, the wholesale value dropped by 11.0 per cent over the comparative quarter of 2012.

The quarterly 'All Items' fresh fruit price index for the fourth quarter of 2013 decreased slightly by 0.04 points (-0.1 per cent) to stand at 71.95 points. Furthermore, the fresh fruit volume index declined by 7.2 per cent to 51.11 points.

In the quarter under review, while the 'All Items' fresh vegetables price index declined by 6.0 points (-5.1 per cent) to 111.14 points, the 'All items' fresh vegetables volume index increased by 1.41 points (+1.9 per cent) to 76.81 points.