Is Organic Trending in Fresh Produce?
With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.
Trending may not be the exact description, but organic fresh produce grew slightly in sales dollars and volume in the second quarter of 2023, reversing a trend of volume loss seen in 2021 and 2022. Overall, organic fresh produce dollar sales increased by 1.5 percent for Q2 2023 compared to the same period last year, with sales for the quarter topping $2.4 billion.
That is dollars, how about amount? Volume movement nudged up slightly less than one percent, reversing a downward volume trend that started in 2021. During Q2 2023, conventional produce dollar sales grew by two percent, while volume declined by 1.3 percent, as total sales topped $18.8 billion.
The Organic Produce Network and Category Partners reports, “The rate of organic sales growth--while still positive--slowed compared to past years, giving volume a chance to match that growth.” In the second quarter of this year, 11 of the top 20 organic fresh produce categories posted increases in dollar sales compared to the same period last year.
