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Markets and Trade

Tropical Fruits

Value and growth of tropical fruits

Global production of tropical fruits has grown steadily over the past decade, predominantly in response to increasing demand in major producer areas. While tropical fruits play a small role in global agricultural trade in overall quantities, accounting for a mere 3 percent of world agricultural food products exports, their high average export unit value is well above USD 1 000 per tonne and places them as the third most valuable fruit group globally, behind bananas and apples. Trade in tropical fruits generates a substantial income for smallholder producers, as well as significant export earnings for many of the producing countries, thereby contributing to their food security.

Current releases
Publications
Minor Tropical Fruits Global Trade Overview 2024
07/11/2024

This report provides a concise evaluation of the latest trends and developments in the global trade of minor tropical fruits as recorded under HS code 0810.90, a group of tropical fruits that has been gaining popularity. The report offers insights into the current state of the market, including factors influencing supply and demand, trade patterns, and potential opportunities and challenges.

Integrating responsible business conduct in pineapple production and export – An introductory guide for trainers
15/10/2024

The FAO technical guide, “Responsible business conduct in the pineapple industry: a guide for producers and exporters”, was developed to support export-oriented businesses to mainstream sustainability and resilience in their operations, via the implementation of risk-based due diligence processes.

Commodity in focus

Global trade in tropical fruits has expanded to unprecedented heights in recent years, reaching an estimated aggregate export volume of close to 11 million tonnes in 2023. Strong demand growth in key importing countries has led to ample investments in improving productivity and expanding production areas in supplying countries, notably for avocados.

 

 With around 2 700 species, tropical fruits are not only a source of nutrition, but also of income generation for farmers who produce them for export.
 In global commodity trade, tropical fruits constitute a comparatively new group and since 1970, they have emerged as significant in the international marketplace.
 Export volumes of fresh tropical fruits display the fastest average annual growth rates among internationally traded food commodities.
 Advances in transportation, trade agreements and shifting consumer preferences in favour of these fruits led to trade growth.
 Tropical fruits are highly perishable during production and distribution, and so environmental challenges are among the key obstacles to sustaining production and ensuring that international markets are supplied.
 Increasingly, erratic weather events are a particularly acute challenge to growing tropical fruits because the vast majority are produced on smallholder farms of less than 5 ha where cultivation is highly dependent on rainfall.

 

 

An estimated 99 percent of tropical fruit production originates in developing countries, predominantly in Asia and Latin America and a smaller share in Africa.

 

In most producing zones, tropical fruits continue to be cultivated at the subsistence rather than the commercial level.

 

The combined exports of the four major tropical fruits represent only 5 percent of total production volume, and the remainder is consumed or otherwise utilized domestically.