Rising production and logistics costs are pushing fruit prices up and consumer consumption and expenditure down
The latest data from the Japanese government has shown how rising costs across the supply chain have affected the country’s fresh fruit trade.
According to data from the Ministry of Finance, fresh fruit imports for May 2022 are down 5 per cent year-on-year and imports from January to May 2022 are down 4.3 per cent.
This trend has been driven by factors such as a weaker exchange rate for the Yen plus increases in FOB and ocean and air freight rates.
As a result, the average unit price per kilogram has risen for nearly every single imported fruit category in 2022. Together, the average unit price for all imported fruits from January to May 2022 has increased 11 per cent year-on-year.
These rising costs have had an impact on consumer purchasing behaviours as well. According to data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication fruit consumption for the month of April was the at lowest it has been in the last ten years. Expenditure per household was also at the lowest it has been for the past four years.
