overview
The United States is one of the world's leading producers and consumers
of vegetables and melons. In 2002, the sale of vegetables and melons
(including mushrooms) earned farmers $17.7 billion. Annual per capita
use of vegetables and melons rose 7 percent from 1990-92 to 2000-02,
reaching 442 pounds as fresh consumption increased and processed
fell. ERS analyzes the U.S. fresh, canned, frozen, and dehydrated
vegetable industries.
Choose a commodity link below for a brief economic snapshot:
contents
features
Vegetables and Melons Outlook is
an electronic report, issued every other month in newsletter format,
featuring current intelligence and forecasts of changing conditions
in the U.S. vegetable and melon sectors. Topics include production,
consumption, prices, trade and more.
Food
Traceability: One Ingredient in a Safe and Efficient Food Supply
describes the results of an investigation into the amount, type,
and adequacy of traceability systems in the United States, focusing
on the fresh produce, cattle/beef, and grain sectors. The investigation
finds that these systems vary across industries as firms balance
the private costs and benefits to determine the efficient level
of traceability. For the full report, see Traceability
in the U.S. Food Supply: Economic Theory and Industry Studies.
European Trading Arrangements
in Fruits and Vegetables describes the extensive participation
by the European Union (EU) in regional and preferential trading
arrangements. Over 70 percent of EU fruit and vegetable imports
are from countries benefitting from preferential treatment for some
portion of trade. Exports from countries without preferences, including
the United States, are at a disadvantage in EU markets.
recommended readings
How Much Do Americans Pay for Fruits
and Vegetables? uses ACNielsen Homescan data on 1999 household
food purchases from all types of retail outlets to estimate an annual
retail price per pound and per serving for 69 forms of fruits and
85 forms of vegetables. Consumers can meet the recommendation of
three servings of fruits and four servings of vegetables daily for
64 cents. The data used in
the report are also available in Excel (*.xls) spreadsheets.
Factors Affecting Spinach
Consumption in the United States analyzes U.S. fresh-market
and processed spinach demand, shedding new light on the distribution
of U.S. spinach consumption across different market channels, geographic
regions, and population groups. The analysis indicates that consumption
is greatest in the Northeast and West and strongest among Asians,
highest among women 40 and older, and weakest among teenage girls.
Organic Produce, Price
Premiums, and Eco-Labeling in U.S. Farmers' Markets describes
how the popularity of farmers' markets in the United States has
grown concurrently with organic production and consumer interest
in locally and organically produced foods. This research, based
on interviews with 210 market managers, describes the significance
of these markets as outlets for many organic farmers, and recent
shifts in relationships between organic growers, market managers,
and customers.
See all recommended readings...
recommended
data products
Vegetables at a Glance contains
a popular table summarizing key data on the vegetable industry.
Vegetables
and Melons Yearbook contains 141 spreadsheet tables (.xls),
detailing 25 years of annual and monthly data for U.S. farm acreage,
production, prices, trade, per-capita use, and more.
U.S. Sweet Corn
Statistics provides 100 Excel spreadsheets describing the U.S.
fresh and processed sweet corn industries, including U.S. and state
acreage, yield, production, price, and crop value. Additional statistics
include per capita use, price indexes, shipments, arrivals, U.S.
exports and imports by country, world production, world harvested
acreage, world trade, and selected cost of production budgets.
See all recommended data products...
related briefing rooms
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Dry edible beans
Fruit and tree nuts
Food
market structures
Organic farming
and marketing
questions and answers
What is the U.S. per capita use of vegetables and melons? Find the
answer to this and other commonly asked questions
about U.S. vegetable and melon markets.
related links
Links to other sites with economic information
about vegetables and melons.
for more information, contact:
Gary Lucier
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
page updated: October 25,
2004
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