A growing awareness of the health implications of a good diet and changing demographics are set to drive long-term growth in demand for fruit and vegetables in the US.
That is the verdict of a new report released by US-based global financial service leader Rabobank, entitled 'North American Food and Agribusiness Outlook'.
The report highlighted the ethnic diversity of the country's population, which had led to altered consumption patterns with a greater variety of produce being purchased in larger volumes.
Meanwhile, the ease of creating meals and the speed with which cooking can be done has resulted in a 50 per cent increase in convenience food purchases, the report said, further driving fruit and vegetable sales. Consumers looking for healthier, more nutritious diets have driven the fresh-cut sector, Rabobank added.
'With consumers increasingly preparing meals at home, overall produce sales are on the rise,' said Rabobank food and agribusiness research and advisory assistant vice-president Marieke de Rijke. 'However, in the shot term much of the growth will depend on the economy, which may temporarily drop demand for fresh-cut fruits and vegetables in favour of cheaper alternatives, such as canned and frozen produce.'
The study also pointed out that while a number of elements are driving increased demand for fresh produce, the sector faces competition from low-cost producing countries, higher costs and new traceability requirements.
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