EU agri-food exports hit 5-year high in March

The European Union reported an 11.3 percent increase in agri-food exports in March 2017 compared with the same 2016 period, according to recent figures from the European Commission.    The European Union saw agri-food export values in March 2017 jump 11.3 percent compared with the same 2016 period, according to recent data from the European Commission (EC).
   Exports for the month were valued at 12.7 billion euros (U.S. $14.1 billion), EUR 1.31 billion more than the same period last year.
   According to the EC, this is the highest monthly agri-food export value seen over the last five years. The highest increases in monthly export values were recorded for the U.S., Japan, Russia and Switzerland, said the EC.
   When looking at the last 12 months, from April 2016 to March 2017, agri-food exports reached a total value of EUR 133.5 billion, a 3.6 percent increase over the same period one year prior.
   Wine and milk powders accounted for the highest percentage of total agri-food export values, while coffee and tropical fruits accounted for the largest of import values, according to the EC. Wheat saw further decreases in value in both imports and exports.
   Brazil continues to be the top agri-food importer into the EU, followed by the U.S., Argentina, China, Switzerland, Turkey, Indonesia, Ukraine and the Ivory Coast. according to EC data.