Bananas remain America’s favorite fruit, but growth is slow at the top.
U.S. banana imports from August 2019 to July were 5.12 million metric tons, up less than 1% compared with the previous year.
By value, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports banana imports totaled $2.46 billion in 2019-20, up 1.2% compared with 2018-19.
The USDA per capita availability consumption of bananas rated 28.3 pounds in 2018, down slightly from 28.7 pounds in 2017 and up slightly from 28 pounds in 2015, up 10.5% from 25.6 pounds in 2010 and virtually unchanged from 28.4 pounds in 2000.
Modest growth
According to the USDA, the annual percent of volume growth of banana/plantains imports:
- 2011: 7.1%
- 2012: 2.2%
- 2013: 6.1%
- 2014: 2.9%
- 2015: 2.9%
- 2016: 1.1%
- 2017: 2.6%
- 2018: 2.6%
- 2019: -2.9%
- 2020: NC.