02/11/2004 00:00
TW
0
Staff Reporter SALES of Balearic potatoes to Britain rose by almost 80 percent in the first four months of this year thanks to the bumper harvest. Demand for Majorcan wine and liqueurs abroad also grew during the first four-month period of the year. However, the Islands' official gazette reported that sales of cheese, almonds and carob syrup were down.


According to the study, sales of potatoes overseas grew between January and April by 59.2 percent bringing in income of 6.6 million euros, while exports increased by 44.9 percent to reach 11'722 tonnes. “The good harvest this year, combined with the fact that other traditional food and wine growing areas in Andalucia, Murcia and Valencia have suffered severe cold snaps, has meant a high demand for Sa Pobla potatoes” detailed the report.

Sales increased spectacularly to the United Kingdom (79.8 percent) and to Denmark (59.3 percent).
Sales of Balearic wine and liqueurs overseas resulted in income of 449'000 euros, 18 percent more than in 2003. This was in spite of the fact that the quantity exported, 130 tonnes, fell by 5.5 percent.

According to the official gazette, all the liquid produce was exported ready-bottled. Chief customers were Germany, Denmark and Japan.
At the other end of the scale, sales fell in some Balearic food production sectors, especially in cheese. Figures for invoicing and export reflect sharp declines of 100 percent. In total, only one tonne was exported, earning income of 7'000 euros.

Also on the downward turn were sales of almonds (some 55.6 percent) which for the same period, totalled 135'000 euros. “This was due principally to the poor harvest of the previous year” said the report, resulting in exports being down 63.5 percent, to only 33 tonnes. Carob syrup didn't escape the downard trend either as their sales registered a fall of 38.5 percent, above all in Germany (-47.1 percent) and Japan (-41.8 percent), levelling out at a total sales figure for the period of 2.8 million euros.