Grapes and kiwifruit have been showing strong growth in terms of average household consumption and expenditure in Japan during April and May.
While the average household consumption of fruit in Japan has declined from 96.66kg in 2003 to 78.17kg in 2015, grapes and kiwifruit are bucking the downward trend, according to data released by Japan’s Ministry of Finance.
At ¥238, expenditure on kiwifruit in May 2016 was the highest in the past 12 years, and at an average of 273g per household, consumption was also the highest in 12 years.
When records of household consumption of kiwifruit began in 2005, the average household expenditure on kiwifruit was ¥843, which has now risen to 1,524 in 2015. The quantity of kiwifruit consumption has likewise risen from 1,174g in 2005 to 1,917g in 2015.
Meanwhile, expenditure of grapes reached its highest in the last 14 years, at an average of ¥72 per household, while consumption was the highest in 14 years at 82gm per household.
Jack Moriya, president of leading import Tokyo Seika, said that grapes were the hot topic for Japan’s fruit industry in April, with Australian table grapes making a significant advance into the market during the 2015/16 season.
Bananas still lead the way in terms of average household expenditure and consumption, with ¥2,626 spent on bananas and 5.25kg consumed during the month.
