FRUIT AND TREE NUTS YEARBOOK November 6, 2000 October 2000, ERS-FTS-290 Approved by the World Agricultural Outlook Board --------------------------------------------------------------------------- FRUIT AND TREE NUTS YEARBOOK is published annually by the Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20036-5831. This release contains only the text of the FRUIT AND TREE NUTS YEARBOOK -- tables and graphics are not included. Printed copies of this yearbook will be available from the ERS-NASS order desk. Call, toll-free, 1-800-999-6779 and ask for stock # ERS-FTS. ERS-NASS accepts MasterCard and Visa. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents Summary Situation Coordinator Susan Pollack Voice (202) 694-5251 Fax (202) 694-5820 E-mail: POLLACK@ers.usda.gov Principal Contributors Susan Pollack Agnes Perez Editor Martha R. Evans Graphics, Table Design, & Layout Wynnice Pointer-Napper Citrus Crop Lowers Total Production in 1999 U.S. fruit production fell 10 percent in 1999, declining for the second consecutive year. The 23 percent smaller citrus crop in 1998/99 was mostly responsible for the decline. Unfavorable weather conditions in both California and Florida caused smaller marketable crops for oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and tangerines. Noncitrus fruit production rose 5 percent between 1998 and 1999. Crop size was bigger for avocados, bananas, berries, sweet cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, olives, papayas, pears, pineapples, and California plums and prunes. Total noncitrus production reached 17.3 million short tons. Similarly, large increases in almond, hazelnut, pecan, and walnut crops boosted overall nut production in 1999. Nut production totaled 1.3 million tons, the largest on record. Total fruit and nut production was valued at $12.2 billion in 1999, 9 percent above the previous year and the second highest on record. The sharply diminished citrus crop reduced overall citrus grower receipts by 5 percent, with the final value of the crop $2.5 billion, the lowest in 4 years. Cash receipts fell for lemon and orange producers in 1999, however, grapefruit growers had their best year since 1994, with receipts 30 percent over 1998. The large noncitrus crop, along with strong grower prices, pushed 1999 noncitrus receipts up 14 percent from the previous year to $8.3 billion. Only apple, peach, and plum and prune growers received lower receipts in 1999 than the year before. Lower nut grower prices in 1999, compared with a year earlier, moderated the increased value of the crop, increasing 9 percent to $1.5 billion. Much of the increase was due to pecan receipts, reaching $330 million in 1999, 86 percent over the previous year. Smaller Citrus Crop Helps Boost Overall Grower Prices Strong prices received by citrus growers in 1999 due to a short supply of fresh oranges, along with strong demand by processors for grapefruit to build juice stocks, helped drive up the grower price index for fruit and tree nuts 3 percent from 1998. The producer price index rose 14 percent for fresh fruit, but declined for processed products. Along with higher producer prices for fresh fruit, consumer prices rose 8 percent. Consumer prices for fresh fruit rose for the seventh consecutive year. Annual average retail prices were down for Red Delicious apples, bananas, and Anjou pears, but were higher for Thompson seedless grapes, oranges, grapefruit, and lemons. Fruit and Nut Bearing Acreage Continued To Increase in 1999 Total fruit and tree nut bearing acreage was 4.1 million acres in 1999, the eighth consecutive year of growth. The growth was moderated, however, by a decline in grapefruit bearing acres. After several years of low grower prices, grapefruit producers in Florida removed groves from production for the second consecutive year, bringing grapefruit bearing acreage to the lowest level since 1994. Bearing acreage also declined for lemons, tangelos, and Temples, remained unchanged for limes, and increased slightly for oranges and tangerines in 1999. Noncitrus bearing acreage increased for grapes and sweet cherries, but declined for most other major noncitrus crops, such as apples, peaches, pears, tart cherries, and plums and prunes. Grape bearing acreage increased 6 percent from 1998, the largest increase for any fruit crop. Much of the increase in grape bearing acreage was due to the previous plantings of wine grapes that began bearing commercial crops of fruit in 1999. Bearing acreage also increased in Arizona, Missouri, Oregon, South Carolina, and Washington. Most minor-produced deciduous fruit crops had less acreage bearing fruit in 1999 than in 1998. Only strawberry and cranberry acreage increased. Other crops, such as pineapples, nectarines, bananas, kiwifruit, dates, and mangoes, had the same number of acres bearing fruit in 1999 as the previous year. Tree nut bearing acreage (excluding pecans) rose as a result of increased bearing acres for almond and pistachio nuts. Trees that growers planted in response to increased demand for crops both domestically and internationally have now begun to bear commercial-sized crops. Bearing acreage declined, however, for hazelnuts, walnuts, and macadamia nuts. Per Capita Consumption Down For the Second Straight Year Per capita fruit consumption totaled 287 pounds, fresh-weight equivalent in 1999, a 3-percent decline from the previous year. Citrus per capita consumption (based on the 1998/99 marketing year) declined 14 percent, bringing down the overall consumption. Noncitrus fruit (1999/2000 marketing year) consumption rose 5 percent and tree nut consumption rose 21 percent. The use of fruit for canning increased in 1999 for many canned fruit. Of all the fruit uses, only canning per capita rose over the previous year, probably as processors were building stocks after low processing production for many of the commodities the previous year. Juice remained the number one form of fruit consumption in 1999, accounting for 43 percent of total per capita consumption. Fresh fruit consumption also declined in 1999, but its share of the total remained unchanged at 36 percent. Frozen fruit still remains the least popular way to consume fruit in the United States, with a 1-percent share of the market, unchanged over the past few years. Fresh fruit: Fresh fruit consumption declined 1 percent in 1999 to 102.2 pounds per capita. The decline was due to reduced consumption of apples and citrus fruit. Bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, and grapefruit continued to be the top five consumed fruit. Bananas accounted for 31 percent of fresh fruit per capita consumption in 1999, a higher share than the previous year. The greatly diminished orange crop in marketing year 1998/99 due to the December 1998 freeze in California, sharply brought down consumption 42 percent to 8.6 pounds per person. This was the lowest per capita fresh orange consumption since 1991, when California's orange crop was also reduced by a freeze. Apple consumption also fell in 1999 to 18.8 pounds per person. In the meantime, grape consumption rose to 8.2 pounds per person, the highest so far. Strong domestic production, coupled with large imports from the Southern Hemisphere this past winter, helped boost grape per capita consumption 13 percent. Consumption was up for most other fresh fruit in 1999 as a result of higher production than the year before. Consumption was higher for peaches, pears, cherries, strawberries, and lemons. Higher imports helped boost consumption of pineapples and avocados. Per capita consumption of pears remained unchanged. Grapefruit consumption declined for the third straight year, but was the same as 1996. Canned fruit: In 1999, canned fruit per capita consumption totaled 19.5 pounds (fresh-weight basis), up 13 percent from 1998, but more in line with previous years. About a fifth of the fruit consumed in the United States is canned. Pineapples were the number one canned fruit consumed in the United States. Most canned pineapple is imported, primarily from the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. Apples comprise the second largest share of canned fruit, and despite the overall decline in apple consumption in 1999, canned apple consumption rose to 5.1 pounds per person. The increase, however, was mostly due to the decline in consumption the previous year. Canned apple consumption in 1999 was just slightly below the average for the nineties at 5.2 pounds per person. Canned consumption was also up for peaches, pears, and olives, and remained unchanged for grapes and cherries. Canned fruit consumption estimates are incomplete since carryover stock data became unavailable in 1988. Consumption trends tend toward an alternating pattern, increasing one year and decreasing the next. This fluctuating pattern can be attributed to the lack of inventory data. Frozen fruit: Per capita consumption of frozen fruit fell 12 percent in 1999, to 3.9 pounds (fresh-weight equivalent), the lowest since 1985. Frozen strawberry consumption, which accounted for 32 percent of all frozen fruit consumption in 1999, declined 3 percent, most likely because of strong fresh demand. Most other frozen fruit consumption declined as well, except frozen blueberries and peaches. Dried fruit: Consumption of dried fruit totaled 10.6 pounds in 1999 (fresh-weight equivalent), 15 percent lower than the year prior. Dried fruit, however, still accounted for about 4 percent of fruit consumption. Raisin consumption, which accounted for 68 percent of all dried fruit consumed in 1999, fell 14 percent from 1998. While per capita consumption, at 7.2 pounds, was the second highest since 1995, it is well below the 10-year average of 7.9 pounds. Prunes, the second most consumed dried fruit in the United States, continued to lose popularity. In 1999, prune per capita consumption fell 27 percent from the year earlier, continuing the downward trend, which has been evident, since consumption peaked in 1989/90. All the other major dried fruit consumption declined as well, while peaches and pears remain unchanged. Fruit juice: Per capita fruit juice consumption in 1999 dropped 7 percent from the year before, totaling 121.3 pounds. Much of the decline was from reduced orange juice consumption, which accounted for 60 percent of all juice consumed. Orange juice consumption fell 14 percent to 72.8 pounds (equal to 5.27 single-strength gallons), due to a smaller crop in 1998/99 coupled with strong exports. Despite the decline in orange juice consumption in 1999, its popularity in the United States makes oranges the top consumed fruit. Grapefruit juice remains the second most popular juice. While consumption has not been as high as in the seventies, it still accounted for 7 percent of all fruit juice consumption. In 1999, grapefruit per capita juice consumption rose 8 percent to 9.7 pounds (equal to 0.61 single-strength gallons). The sale of grapefruit juice in not-from-concentrate form helped boost consumer demand. Lemon juice consumption, however, declined in 1999, while lime juice consumption remained unchanged. Noncitrus juice consumption increased in 1999, mostly due to increased demand for pineapple, grape, and cranberry juice. Large grape crops in the major grape-juice producing States--Washington, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio, helped increase available supply. Apple juice consumption, which made up almost two-thirds of noncitrus fruit juice consumed in 1999, fell fractionally. Because carryover stock data are not available for noncitrus juice, per capita year-to-year consumption estimates may be over-or understated. Tree Nut Acreage Up for the Fourth Consecutive Year Bearing acreage for tree nuts (excluding pecans) increased 3 percent in 1999/2000 to 790,100 acres. Almond and pistahio bearing acreage each increased 4 percent. Hazelnut, walnut, and macadamia nut acreage declined. Production increased for most nut crops, except macadamias and pistachios, since the crops were on the on-year of their alternate-bearing pattern. As a result, total nut production in 1999/2000 set a record of 1.3 billion pounds (shelled basis), 52 percent above last year and 6 percent above the previous record in 1997/98. Almond production, which accounted for 62 percent of U.S. nut production, set a record of 830 million pounds, 60 percent higher than last year. Pecan production also set a record at 160.4 million pounds, 145 percent higher than last year. Hazelnut production increased 149 percent and walnut production increased 27 percent. Both the macadamia and pistachio harvests decreased in 1999/2000. As a result of the large crops in 1999/2000, season-average grower prices declined. As might be expected, only macadamia and pistachio growers received higher prices for their crops. Although prices declined, they did not fall proportionately to the increase in production, resulting in higher valued crops, excluding almonds, in 1999/2000. Returns to almond growers were down 1 percent, as the industry faced its second year in a row of lower season-average prices. The high production, along with increased imports in 1999/2000, offset low beginning stocks to increase total domestic consumption 23 percent to 742 million pounds (shelled basis), equal to 2.71 pounds per person. Consumption rose for almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, and other nuts, such as Brazil nuts, pine nuts, cashews, chestnuts, and mixed nuts. Consumption fell, however, for pecans, as ending stocks were built up. Exports rose for all nut crops except pistachios. Lower production and imports in 1999/2000, along with strong domestic demand, reduced the quantity of pistachio nuts available for export. End-of-file