North Carolina fresh fruit and vegetable shipments rose 6% in 2022 when compared with 2021, according to USDA data.
Total North Carolina truck shipments of fresh produce commodities in 2022 totaled 1.1 billion pounds, up from 1.04 billion pounds the USDA reported in 2021.
The biggest month for North Carolina fresh produce shipments in 2022 was July, when the USDA said state’s shippers moved 305.2 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. February was the lowest month for shipments, with the USDA reporting 43.6 million pounds of produce moved that month.
The biggest fresh commodity in the state is sweet potatoes, and the USDA reported truck shipments of 494.9 million pounds for 2022, down about 6% from 524.7 million pounds in 2021. The biggest month for North Carolina sweet potato truck shipments in 2022 was April, when the state’s shippers moved 52.6 million pounds for the month.
Here are USDA reported annual truck shipments for North Carolina fresh produce items in 2022, with percentage change from 2021:
- Apples: 7.3 million pounds, up 115%.
- Beans: 7 million pounds, up 35%.
- Blueberries: 21.2 million pounds, up 27%.
- Organic blueberries: 400,000 pounds, unchanged.
- Broccoli: 3.3 million pounds, up 22%.
- Cabbage: 37 million pounds, up 17%.
- Cucumbers: 11.4 million, up 20%.
- Eggplant: 2.2 million, up 16%.
- Greens: 15.4 million, up 27%.
- Miscellaneous berries: 5.1 million pounds, up 19%.
- Bell peppers: 33.5 million pounds, up 31%.
- Other peppers: 4.8 million pounds, up 85%.
- Potatoes: 14.1 million pounds, up 2%.
- Chipper potatoes: 210.4 million pounds, up 12%.
- Squash: 4.3 million pounds, up 5%.
- Strawberries: 4.3 million pounds, down 7%.
- Sweet potatoes: 494.4 million pounds, down 6%.
- Tomatoes: 2.4 million pounds, down 8%.
- Grape tomatoes: 300,000 pounds, down 25%.
- Plum tomatoes: 500,000 pounds, up 150%.
- Seeded watermelon: 9.2 million pounds, down 3%.
- Seedless watermelon: 223.2 million pounds, up 24%.
- State total: 1.1 billion pounds, up 6%.