Photo: USDA

2020 was only the second year in the past quarter of a century that household expenditure on food in the US dropped. The total spend of around US$1.6 trillion represents a 5.3% fall from 2019, according to a USDA report. The disruption of the trends in food spending can be attributed to the pandemic limiting mobility of consumers and the economic recession that accompanied it. The last fall in spending was in 2009 during the recession.

Photo: Carrefour

Photo: Eurofresh Distribution

April 2021 retail sales of fresh fruit in the US were up from last year’s already high level, but vegetable sales dropped. Fruit sales in the four weeks up to April 25th were up 1.5% Y-O-Y, despite, while vegetable sales slumped by 8.8%. The value of sales in the fresh produce department overall slipped by 3.6%. Nevertheless, compared to the 2019 pre-pandemic level, fresh produce sales at retail were up 10.3%, according to IRI data cited in a joint report by IRI, 210 Analytics and the PMA.

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The Philippines Banana Planter and Exporter Association (PBGEA) has announced that profits in banana exports fell by 15% due to the outbreak of Covid-19, which increased shipping costs and delayed transport, reports Business Mirror.

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Cultivated mushroom production in Russia has been growing steadily in recent years. Production increased by 80.2% to 86,300 tons in 2020. This is nine times higher than in 2016 (9,700 tons). 

Photo: Retail China - CR Vangard

Despite China’s imports of fresh produce falling y-o-y in volume terms in 2020, they were up in value, according to Chinese customs data. China imported 5.3 million tons of fresh fruit in 2020, with bananas leading the way (1.7 million tons; 32%). Next came dragon fruit (618,000 tons), followed by durian (575,000 tons), mangos (379,000) and longans (347,000 tons). 

Photo: Promperú

On the back of the pandemic, Peru exported 37% more citrus in 2020  than in 2019, with shipments reaching 244,000 tons, worth US$262 million, according to data released by the country’s Foreign Trade Research and Development Institute (Idexcam). 

In a statement, Idexcam said: “There is a growing demand for citrus, especially mandarins, due to their antioxidant properties and high content of vitamin C which strengthens the  immune system, creating a rebound of global  commercialisation.”

Photo: Morrisons

UK retailer Morrison’s has announced a 50.7% fall in profits to £201 million for the year to January 31. The plummeting profits are mainly due to the additional £290 million in costs linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. A large contributor is an increase in staff absences, as well as the £230 million impact of handing its business rates relief back to the Treasury.

Photo: LIDL España

Photo:Creative Commons

The UK organic market grew 12.6% in 2020 and is now worth £2.8 billion, according to Soil Association Certification’s Organic Market Report 2021. This is the highest growth rate seen in 15 years, with over £50 million per week spent on organic food and drink during 2020.