Fresh produce dollar sales in the third quarter of 2018 were 2.7% higher than the same period in 2017, and broccoli, onions, mandarins and avocados were among the commodities seeing significant growth.
The United Fresh Produce Association FreshFacts on Retail report shows that the most volume growth in fruit came from avocados (25.%), mandarins (20.9%) and peaches (13.5%). Mandarins led the category in dollar gains (17.3%), and blueberries (10.5%) and strawberries (5.9%) followed.
Mainstays including bananas, apples and grapes lost dollars and pounds.
On the vegetable side, the biggest winners as far as volume increases were broccoli and onions, with 9.4% growth and 9.5% growth, respectively. Packaged salad sales volume grew 3.9%. Broccoli also saw a 12.5% increase in dollar sales, while packaged salads got a 4.7% bump.
United Fresh’s report spotlights onions, peppers and oranges, comparing Q1 2018 data with Q1 2017 data. In the orange category, cara cara and bloods saw significant growth in volume and dollars.
Fresh-cut continues to drive growth in produce, particularly for vegetables. Volume for fresh-cut broccoli increased 9.4% from Q3 2017 to Q3 2018, and fresh-cut celery volume grew 12.1%. Watermelon, mixed vegetables and cantaloupe also saw fresh-cut volume increases.
The report also featured organic produce leaders, with significant volume growth coming from blueberries, strawberries and herbs and spices. Apples and bananas also saw growth in volume and dollars.
The full report is available on the United Fresh website and is free for members and $50 for others.