Andalucia Targets UK Buyers As Spanish Fresh Produce Push Gathers Pace

Andalucia is stepping up efforts to strengthen its position in the UK fresh produce market, after organising a major trade mission in London designed to bring Spanish fruit and vegetable suppliers closer to British importers, distributors and buying centres.

The initiative, led by Andalucía TRADE, the public business agency of the Junta de Andalucía, brought together six Andalusian fruit and vegetable companies with 25 UK importers and major purchasing centres in the agri-food sector.

Held in London on 2 and 3 June, the programme included more than 90 business meetings aimed at increasing the presence of Andalusian fresh produce in one of the region’s most important export markets.

The move comes as Andalucia continues to consolidate its role as Spain’s leading fruit and vegetable exporting region. According to Andalucía TRADE, the region led Spanish fruit and vegetable exports to the UK in 2025, accounting for 33 per cent of the national total and generating sales worth €794 million, up 1.5 per cent on the previous year.

The momentum has continued into 2026. In the first quarter of this year, Andalusian exports to the UK reached a record €351 million, representing growth of 13.5 per cent. During that period, Andalucia accounted for 43 per cent of Spain’s fruit and vegetable exports to the British market.

The delegation included Fruits and Vegetables La Ñeca, from Almería; Espalmex and Ibarrola Fruits, from Sevilla; and Mosaic Fruits, Ecoverfruta and Novedades Hortícolas, from Málaga.

The participating companies used the London meetings to showcase their produce to British commercial agents, importers and distributors, while also identifying new business opportunities, commercial partners and potential customers.

Andalucía TRADE said the UK remains a strategic destination for the region’s fresh produce sector because of Britain’s strong reliance on imported fresh fruit and vegetables. The agency’s market data indicates that imports cover around 85 per cent of UK fruit consumption and 56 per cent of vegetable consumption, making Britain a structurally import-dependent market of high interest to Andalusian producers.

The agency also said the UK market continues to offer strong capacity for absorbing fresh produce, despite its demanding commercial standards and the adaptations required in the post-Brexit trading environment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NDD1FL9Zh4

The London programme took place at Andalucía TRADE’s office in the UK capital, located within the Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy. As part of the mission, participants also visited New Spitalfields Market, one of the UK’s principal wholesale distribution centres for fruit and vegetables.

The renewed push comes as demand for fresh and organic produce continues to shape buying opportunities in the British market. Andalucía TRADE pointed to the UK’s growing appetite for organic food, citing Soil Association data showing that fresh organic produce represented 22.7 per cent of the UK organic market in 2024, with annual growth of 10.4 per cent.

The agency said this trend creates opportunities for Andalusian organic produce, particularly products positioned around quality, sustainability and health. It also referenced ICEX reports indicating that the UK fruit and vegetable category has benefited from post-pandemic consumer habits, including a greater focus on cooking and eating at home.

Andalucia’s wider export performance underlines the importance of the sector to the regional economy. In 2025, the region led Spain’s fruit and vegetable exports with sales of €7.651 billion, a record figure and a 6.9 per cent increase on 2024. Europe remained the overwhelming destination for Andalusian fruit and vegetable exports, accounting for 99 per cent of sales.

The UK ranked as Andalucia’s fourth-largest global market for fruit and vegetables in 2025, taking 10.4 per cent of the region’s total exports in the sector.

The latest London mission forms part of Andalucía TRADE’s wider internationalisation strategy for the agri-food sector. In 2025, the agency organised 65 international actions involving 130 fruit and vegetable companies.

Further activity is planned throughout the second half of 2026, including promotional and trade missions targeting markets such as Italy, Canada, Portugal, Switzerland, Poland, Sweden, Denmark and Australia. Sevilla will also host an inward trade mission for the fruit and vegetable sector on 30 September, linked to Fruit Attraction 2026.

Andalucía TRADE said the programme reflects its commitment to opening new markets for the region’s fruit and vegetable businesses, strengthening their international competitiveness and consolidating their presence in priority export destinations.

For UK buyers, the renewed Spanish push comes at a time when supply chain resilience, sourcing diversity and reliable access to fresh produce remain critical commercial priorities. For Andalucia’s growers and exporters, the UK continues to offer one of the most important routes to growth — provided the relationships built in London now translate into long-term trading agreements.