overview
The United States is among the top producers and consumers of fruit and tree nuts in the world. Each year, fruit and tree nut production generates about 13 percent of U.S. farm cash receipts for all agricultural crops. Annual U.S. per capita use of fruit and tree nuts totals nearly 300 pounds, fresh-weight equivalent. Oranges, apples, grapes, and bananas are the most popular fruit while almonds, pecans, and walnuts are the most preferred tree nuts. This briefing room presents economic analyses, data, and graphics about U.S. fruit and tree nuts, including data on harvested acreage, commercial production, crop value, trade, and per capita use for various citrus and noncitrus fruit crops and tree nuts.

Choose a link below for an industry spotlight:

contents

• Background

• Trade

• Market outlook

• Policy

features
Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook is an electronic report, issued every other month in newsletter format, featuring current intelligence and forecasts of changing conditions in the U.S. fruit and tree nut sectors. Topics include production, consumption, prices, trade, and more.

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.

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 benefiting 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
Global Trade Patterns in Fruits and Vegetables examines the domestic markets and trade experiences of major fruit and vegetable traders to better understand the economic and institutional factors affecting trade. With major advances in produce handling and transport, combined with trade agreements and changing consumers preferences as incomes rise, a more global market is providing consumers with greater year-round variety.

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.

Cuba's Citrus Industry: Growth and Change reports that Cuban citrus is a major commercial crop and foreign exchange earner. The 1990s saw an industry collapse and a shift from fresh oranges to processed citrus products and grapefruit production. If commercial relationships with the United States were restored, Cuba's citrus industry would likely look to U.S. markets for new opportunities for Cuban fresh citrus, processed citrus products, and citrus byproducts.

See all recommended readings...

recommended data products
Fruit and Tree Nuts Yearbook contains 150 downloadable spreadsheet tables (*.xls) detailing over 20 years of annual or monthly data for U.S. bearing acreage, production, prices, trade, per capita use, and more.

The U.S. Strawberry Industry, 1970-2003 provides 25 downloadable spreadsheet tables detailing over 30 years of annual and monthly data describing the fresh and processed strawberry markets, including acreage, yield, production, value, trade, and per capita use. Includes a state-level production series.

related briefing rooms 
Agricultural baseline projections
Food market structures
Organic farming and marketing
Vegetables and melons
U.S. agricultural trade
NAFTA
WTO

questions and answers
What is the per capita use of fruit and tree nuts? Find the answer to this and other commonly asked questions for U.S. fruit and tree nut markets.

related links
Check our links to other sites with economic information about fruit and tree nuts.

maps and images gallery
Explore the fruit and tree nut markets with charts on trends in acreage, production, crop value, grower and retail prices, per capita consumption, and trade.

for more information, contact: Agnes Perez or Susan Pollack
web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov
page updated: August 10, 2004