The agri-food sector breaks its export record in a year marked by health scares

Barcelona2025 has been one of the most unsettling years for the Catalan agri-food sector. The outbreaks of contagious nodular dermatosis, African swine fever and avian flu These outbreaks have put farms on alert – some of which have had to cull hundreds of animals – but also the industry, due to the economic effects of these new outbreaks. However, export figures remained unaffected by the three health alerts: they closed 2025 with a new record for sales abroad, at €16,903.9 million. This new high was reached after the volume of exports increased by 7.95% compared to the previous year – and by 7.48% in value – in a year also heavily marked by trade tensions stemming from the trade war initiated by US President Donald Trump, which was declared on Friday. makes the impact even more uncertainThe Catalan sector most exposed, precisely, is the wine sector, since the US is its main market.

According to the Catalan government, which released the data on Monday at a press conference led by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Òscar Ordeig, the agri-food sector is consolidating its position as one of the main drivers of the Catalan economy. This comes in a year marked by high trade volatility, the implementation of tariffs by the United States, and the threat of African swine fever (ASF) at the end of the year. Catalonia, leading exporter

"Since 2017, Catalan agri-food exports have grown above the Spanish and European averages," the regional minister emphasized. With €16,903.9 million exported, Catalonia has regained its leading position in Spain, after Andalusia held it in 2014. Furthermore, Catalan exports represent 21.9% of the national total and are growing faster than both Spain as a whole (+4.06%) and the European Union (+1.04%). This maintains the agri-food industry as Catalonia's third largest exporting sector, behind semi-manufactured goods and capital goods, and it now contributes 16.77% of the country's total exports. The Catalan government also highlights that sales abroad have grown almost seven percentage points above the average for all Catalan exports, reinforcing the sector's driving role.

Furthermore, 2025 also saw a new record for regular exporting companies, with 3,225 companies, 32 more than the previous year. This means that one in four regular agri-food exporting companies in Spain is Catalan (27.82%).