M. Shahbandeh
Research expert covering agriculture & FMCG
Fruit industry in the U.S - statistics & facts
Fruit is a widely consumed food that is considered healthy and required for a balanced diet. The most produced varieties of fruit worldwide are bananas and watermelons. The greatest annual fruit harvest in the world occurs in Asia. In 2021, more than 83.5 million metric tons of citrus fruits were produced in Asia, compared to some 6.3 million tons produced in Northern America. China alone produces some 253 million metric tons of fresh fruit annually.
Fruit production in the U.S.
The United States is also an important fruit producer. For non-citrus fruits alone, around 1.8 million acres were used as bearing area in the U.S. in 2022 and the bearing area for citrus fruits was about 635 thousand acres in 2022. The majority of U.S. fruit exports went to Mexico and Canada. Grapes account for a large percentage of the total fresh fruit produced in the United States. In 2022, just under six million tons of grapes were produced at a value of almost six billion U.S. dollars. Other top fruit varieties in the U.S. include oranges, apples, strawberries and lemons.Fruit consumption
Annual per capita fruit consumption in the United States stands at around 323.32 pounds. Bananas are the most popular fruit among U.S. consumers, followed by citrus fruits and apples. U.S. consumer prices for fresh fruit remained fairly stable between 2015 to 2020. The price has increased in the past two years. In 2022, the CPI for fresh fruit stood at an average of 406.3, up from 357.1 in 2020. A 2022 survey showed that the majority of U.S. consumers purchased pre-cut fruits and vegetables every month. Only four percent of consumers reported purchasing pre-cut fruits and vegetables more than once a week. When asked which brand comes to mind when thinking of fresh produce, more than a quarter of survey respondents named Dole.
