US fresh produce revenues rise but consumption dips

Corona Farmers Market in Queens (New York) © Public domain

United Fresh Produce Association has reported that fresh produce sales in most segments remain higher than in the past two years, as rising prices drove up revenue, despite a slight fall in consumption. While most fruit dollars declined, berries and lemons increased. Additionally, six out of the top ten vegetable categories reported dollar growth.

Other key findings:

• Total produce household trips to the store are up 4.6 percent vs a year ago
• Salad kits continue to gain in popularity, as dollar share grew +2.1 pts
• Quarterly sales of organic produce eclipse $2.3 Billion
• Mixed fruit are the top selling value-added category and eight out of top ten categories reported growth
• Shopper spend on value-added vegetables continues to grow, with 2.7 percent dollar contribution of value-added vegetables to total produce