Posts Tagged “Costa Rica pineapple exports”
Costa Rica is the primary exporter of fresh pineapple in the world, according to the Foreign Trade Promoter of Costa Rica (Procomer). Also, the United States is the main destination for the fruit.
The National Chamber of Pineapple Producers and Exporters (CANAPEP) reports pineapple contributes 1.90% of the country’s GDP, and about 34% of the country’s agricultural exports.
CANAPEP reflects U.S. per capita consumption of pineapple used to be low because most of the fruit that came from Mexico which had quality issues.
When Costa Rica entered the U.S. market with the Golden mb-2 pineapple, it was so well received that today Costa Rica supplies 84% of the fruit.
The United States also receives pineapple from Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras, and Panama.
Costa Rica’s pineapple production level has reached a peak, now producing about 48,000 120,000 acres, generating a volume of more than 160,000 containers per year of fresh pineapple. On a weekly weekly basis, the country averages 2,300 containers being exports to various markets.
During the past 10 years, the U.S. has imported $6.05 billion worth of pineapple with 85% of pineapple exports coming from Costa Rica. Colombia was the eighth-largest supplier for this fruit to the U.S. during the same period, according to ProColumbia data.
With industries in constant development and growth, Costa Rica and Colombia are seeking to consolidate pineapple consumption in the U.S. market. At the same time, they are aiming to grow exports to new destinations, such as Israel.
With more than 98,842 acres concentrated in the south and north, Costa Rica produces pineapples all year round. More than 52% of shipments are destined for the U.S., and led by Del Monte company. According to the National Chamber of Pineapple Producers and Exporters (CANAPEP), exports began in the late 1990s with a high quality fruit.
Per capita consumption in the U.S. currently stands at nearly 6 pounds per year. And 84% of pineapples consumed come from Costa Rica.
Abel Chaves, president of CANAPEP’s Board of Directors, says: “Since we started with exports and the development of MD2 pineapple along with phytosanitary work, we are the number one supplier in the U.S.
“In fact, in supermarket chains, consumers seek Costa Rican pineapple, which has led to an annual average shipment of 170 million boxes of 12 kilos (26.4 pounds), which is why there is such a large consumption in the U.S”. The association seeks to position Costa Rica as the leading pineapple supplier for global markets.
Colombian market
Along the same lines, Colombia has increased its pineapple production. ProColombia data in 2021, reveals national pineapple production closed at 927,050 tons, with a 3% growth over the previous year.
In 1989, the first pineapple exports to the United States began with a value of $122,191, equivalent to 388 tons. Since then, per capita consumption in the country has remained constant, creating annual increases of 9% in imports.
Colombia has the possibility of supplying pineapple all year round, as does Costa Rica. Between January and July this year, Colombia shipped 1.1 million dollars to the US, representing a 27% growth compared to the same period in 2021.
2022 Season
With a season marked by the logistics crisis, the pandemic and the increase in fertilizer prices in both countries, the Costa Rican pineapple industry is conservative when making projections. It predicts an average shipment of 190 million boxes for the entire industry, a figure that remains the same compared to 2021.
Of that percentage, 50% of the national industry is destined to the U.S. While between 40 to 43% is sent to Europe, with the rest of the exports destined to Chile and Asia.
According to figures from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) and analysis by ProColombia, Colombia exported more than 3 million net kilos of pineapple between January and July 2022. This represented 1.3% more than in the same period of 2021. In total, last year closed at 6.6 million net kilos.
Costa Rica pineapple exports to the U.S. and domestic Florida grapefruit shipments are facing their own problems, but for different reasons.
Adverse weather conditions and unfavorable exchange rates contributed to the decline in Costa Rican pineapple exports the first half of 2015 compared with the previous year. The drop was 15 percent less in volumes of the tropical fruit shipped between January and June, amounting to 933,800 tons.
In June there was severe fl0ooding in Costa Rica and estimated pineapple losses could reach 20 million boxes, with nearly 45,000 acres of fields damaged. Exchange rates have also hit exports over the past year, with the Costa Rican colón rising against the euro and, to a lesser extent, against the US dollar since August 2014.
The U.S. is easily the biggest export market for Costa Rica. However, those exports to American plunged by 19 percent over the period, totalling 473,000 tons.
Florida Grapefruit Shipments
Florida had a hot and relatively wet summer resulting in poorer quality grapefruit as the minimum maturity standards for brix and acid levels were lacking early in the season. This delayed harvest by about two to three weeks.
The Florida grapefruit harvest recently started and shipments are expected to remain strong through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. After the holidays, demand declines. In general, US grapefruit consumption is going down. Older people tend to like grapefruit, but because of changing demographics, the industry is losing the older customer base. Younger people do not prefer the taste of this citrus variety. Consumption is also suffering from bad publicity during the past five years as the fruit is believed to interact with certain medications.
Florida grapefruit shipments – grossing about $2100 to Chicago.