- Quote: ‘We are valuing fresh food more and consumption at home is alleviating the stoppage of the hotel and restaurant industry’.
By Andrew Atkinson
Spanish wholesale Vegetable Market Mercalicante report 58,882 tonnes of fruit and vegetables sales during COVID-19 in July, August and September.
The survey carried out by the wholesale market and the complementary activities zone of the agri-food cluster shows an increase of 2.08% compared to the same period in 2019.
Sales of fish have also increased by 3%. Meat sales have decreased by 15% in the same period.
The news comes on the back of sales losses within the hotels and hospitality sector that hit following the Covid-19 pandemic when meat sales plummeted to 30.5%, according to data.
Mercalicante, formed by the Alicante City Council and Mercasa, report the increase in household consumption of fruit and vegetables, up by 2%.
Mercalicante, one of the main suppliers of the hospitality sector, including hotels, restaurants and cafeterias. General director of the Alicante wholesale market, Dolores Mejías, said: “A large part of the commercialisation of the products offered in the company are local products that are sold in the province itself and neighbouring areas.
“Some operators are also dedicated to the export of products, mainly in the European market. However, I believe that families have remembered those concepts of freshness and closeness that local businesses offer us.
“We are valuing fresh food more and consumption at home is alleviating the stoppage of the hotel and restaurant industry.”
