Spain leads all other economies in the world in terms of lettuce exports, with sales of 864 million dollars in 2020.
In fact, its exports were equal to the sum of its two closest competitors: the United States ($ 538 million) and Mexico ($ 335 million).
Other nations that led global lettuce exports are: The Netherlands ($ 282 million) and Italy ($ 219 million).
In particular, Spain had continuous year-on-year growth from 2017 to 2019, to then register a drop in 2020.
Thus, the value of Spanish exports has experienced a moderate rise over the last four years, with an increase of 6.1% in 2020 compared to 2016.
The drop in the value of exports in 2020 compared to 2019 is due to both the drop in export volume (-0.5%) and the drop in the average export price (-3.8%).
Lettuce exports
This product is a food that provides very few calories due to its high water content and its low amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
Regarding its vitamin content, the government of Spain mentions that, although with little significant contributions, lettuce provides vitamin C, folates and provitamin A (b-carotenes). Thiamine and vitamin E are in lower proportions.
The mineral contribution is not particularly significant either, although it does have small amounts of phosphorus, potassium, iron and calcium.
However, it must be taken into account that the intense green leaves, which are generally the least tender, are precisely the most rich in vitamins and minerals.
It contains flavonoids, mainly quercetin, which has antioxidant, antithrombotic and anticarcinogenic activity; followed by kaempferol, and lower amounts of myricetin, luteolin, and apigenin.
Lettuce also provides small amounts of b-sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol, phytosterols that participate in important biological functions such as reducing serum cholesterol levels, protection against some types of cancer, etc.
Who else stands out among lettuce exporters? China ($ 208 million), Belgium ($ 94 million), France ($ 61 million), Germany ($ 55 million) and Canada ($ 50 million).
