Fresh produce statistics at a glance
Fresh produce is not just a grocery aisle theme; it is a moving target shaped by affordability, availability, imports, processing, and food safety. The numbers below show how those forces intersect in the U.S. market.
Quick takeaways
- The average U.S. consumer consumed 0.9 cups of fruit per day and 1.4 cups of vegetables per day (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
- USDA ERS examined 155 fresh and processed fruit and vegetable products in its 2023 price analysis (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
- Fresh vegetables reached 148 pounds per person in 2024, while total U.S. vegetable and pulse availability fell to 376 pounds per person (Vegetable availability declined in 2024).
- Fresh watermelon cost $0.26 per cup equivalent in 2023, making it the cheapest fruit product in the dataset (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
- Dried pinto beans were the cheapest vegetable product at $0.23 per cup equivalent in 2023 (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
Table of contents
- What the price data shows
- Which fresh produce items were cheapest
- How availability has changed
- What the category mix says about the market
- Supply, trade, and production signals
- Food safety context
- How to read these statistics together
What the price data shows
The clearest signal in the price data is that fresh produce is not one market. It is a long list of products with very different prices per cup equivalent, different processing levels, and different shopper tradeoffs.
USDA ERS examined 155 fresh and processed fruit and vegetable products in its 2023 price analysis (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts). That scale matters because it captures the spread between budget-friendly staples and more expensive items that behave like specialty purchases rather than everyday produce.
A few products stand out immediately. Fresh watermelon cost $0.26 per cup equivalent in 2023, and baby carrots cost $0.40 per cup equivalent (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts). Onions came in at $0.42 per cup equivalent, ready-to-drink apple juice at $0.48, and fresh apples at $0.50 (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
These are the kinds of items that anchor a produce budget because they sit near the low end of the range while still belonging to familiar shopping baskets. In contrast, the upper end of the list shows how quickly prices can rise when products are more processed, less common, or more seasonal. Canned cherries cost $4.28 per cup equivalent in 2023, while frozen asparagus and fresh okra each cost $2.60 per cup equivalent (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
Price comparison table
| Item | Price per cup equivalent in 2023 | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh watermelon | $0.26 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Baby carrots | $0.40 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Onions | $0.42 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Ready-to-drink apple juice | $0.48 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Fresh apples | $0.50 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Sweet potatoes | $0.58 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Canned corn | $0.68 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Raisins | $0.72 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Canned green peas | $0.77 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Clementines | $0.95 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Avocados | $0.98 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Fresh okra | $2.60 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Frozen asparagus | $2.60 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
| Canned cherries | $4.28 | Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts |
Which fresh produce items were cheapest
The cheapest items matter because they show where produce can stay price-competitive even when shoppers are stretched. In the 2023 price analysis, nine fruit products cost $0.50 or less per cup equivalent, and 19 vegetable products cost $0.50 or less per cup equivalent (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
That matters for everyday shopping behavior. It means affordability is not limited to one fruit or one vegetable; there are multiple low-cost options across categories. Fresh watermelon was the cheapest fruit product at $0.26 per cup equivalent, while dried pinto beans were the cheapest vegetable product at $0.23 per cup equivalent (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
A few comparison points show how processing and form change value:
- Fresh apples were cheaper than applesauce in 2023, at $0.50 versus $0.65 per cup equivalent (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
- Canned corn was cheaper than fresh corn in 2023, at $0.68 versus $1.42 per cup equivalent (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
- Frozen raspberries were cheaper than fresh raspberries in 2023, at $2.05 versus $2.65 per cup equivalent (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
These differences do not mean the cheaper option is always the better one for every shopper. They do show that the produce aisle includes price ladders, not just one number. For price-sensitive households, substitution within a category can reduce the cost of a meal or snack without leaving produce entirely.
Lowest-cost examples in the dataset
- Fresh watermelon: $0.26 per cup equivalent (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
- Dried pinto beans: $0.23 per cup equivalent (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
- Baby carrots: $0.40 per cup equivalent (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
- Onions: $0.42 per cup equivalent (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
- Fresh apples: $0.50 per cup equivalent (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
How availability has changed
Price is only half the story. Availability tells you what is actually flowing through the food system and into diets over time.
Total U.S. vegetable and pulse availability fell to 376 pounds per person in 2024, which was 50 pounds below the 1996 peak (Vegetable availability declined in 2024). Even with that decline, fresh vegetables still reached 148 pounds per person in 2024, and that was 6 pounds above the 1996 level of 142 pounds per person (Vegetable availability declined in 2024).
That combination is important. It says the total category has shifted, but fresh vegetables remain a major piece of the supply picture. Fresh vegetables accounted for 39 percent of total vegetable and pulse availability in 2024, while potatoes accounted for 31 percent and processing vegetables accounted for 25 percent (Vegetable availability declined in 2024). Pulses accounted for 3 percent and mushrooms for 1 percent (Vegetable availability declined in 2024).
Availability snapshot
| Measure | 2024 value | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Total U.S. vegetable and pulse availability | 376 pounds per person | Vegetable availability declined in 2024 |
| Fresh vegetables | 148 pounds per person | Vegetable availability declined in 2024 |
| Fresh vegetables share | 39 percent | Vegetable availability declined in 2024 |
| Potatoes share | 31 percent | Vegetable availability declined in 2024 |
| Processing vegetables share | 25 percent | Vegetable availability declined in 2024 |
| Pulses share | 3 percent | Vegetable availability declined in 2024 |
| Mushrooms share | 1 percent | Vegetable availability declined in 2024 |
The longer view makes the fresh category look even more durable. Average fresh vegetable availability was around 90 pounds per person in the 1970s, then rose to almost 150 pounds per person in the 2000s (Per capita fresh vegetable availability has grown from the 1970s to the present). That is a major structural change, not a small fluctuation.
The charted series also shows that total U.S. vegetable availability was 359.1 pounds per person in 2022 and 365.9 pounds per person in 2021, after peaking at 415.4 pounds per person in 2004 in the cited 20-year series (Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials - Food Availability and Consumption). So while 2024 sits below the long-run high point, the category is still substantial in per-capita terms.
What the trend implies
- Fresh vegetables have grown from a lower baseline in the 1970s to a much higher modern level (Per capita fresh vegetable availability has grown from the 1970s to the present).
- The market still devotes a large share to potatoes and processing vegetables, so fresh produce competes inside a broader vegetable system (Vegetable availability declined in 2024).
- A decline in total availability does not automatically mean consumers abandoned fresh produce; the fresh segment can stay strong even when the overall basket softens (Vegetable availability declined in 2024).
What the category mix says about the market
The category mix reveals how Americans actually interact with produce. Fresh fruits and vegetables coexist with juice, canned items, frozen products, and processing channels. That matters for both shelf life and budget planning.
In the availability series, potatoes were available at 49.4 pounds per person in 2019 after loss adjustment, and tomatoes were available at 31.4 pounds per person in 2019 after loss adjustment (Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials - Food Availability and Consumption). Frozen products made up 41 percent of loss-adjusted potato availability, while canned products made up 60 percent of loss-adjusted tomato availability (Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials - Food Availability and Consumption).
That is a strong reminder that fresh produce statistics are really food-system statistics. A shopper sees a tomato; the supply chain sees fresh, canned, frozen, and processed routes that all feed demand differently.
A few more benchmarks help frame category behavior:
- Onions were the third-highest vegetable at 9.4 pounds per person in 2019 (Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials - Food Availability and Consumption).
- Apple juice availability reached 14.7 pounds per person in 2021 (Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials - Food Availability and Consumption).
- Fresh apples were available at roughly 9 pounds per person in 2021 (Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials - Food Availability and Consumption).
- Bananas were the top fresh fruit at 13.2 pounds per person in 2021 (Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials - Food Availability and Consumption).
- Orange juice availability was 16.6 pounds per person, or 1.9 gallons, in 2021 (Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials - Food Availability and Consumption).
These figures point to a market that is both fresh and processed at once. Fresh produce dominates many shopping decisions, but juice and shelf-stable forms still matter in consumption and supply statistics.
Supply, trade, and production signals
The fresher side of the category is also affected by trade and production shifts. Carrot availability fell to 7 pounds per person in 2024, a 14 percent year-over-year decline, while fresh carrot production reached 196 million pounds in 2024 (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025).
Import dependence is part of that picture. Imported carrots accounted for 22 percent of domestic availability during 2020-24, compared with 8 percent during 2000-04 (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025). Mexico supplied 56 percent of U.S. fresh carrot imports over the past three years, Canada supplied 37 percent, and Israel supplied 5 percent (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025).
Exports also help define the balance. Fresh carrot exports averaged 7 percent of supplies during 2020-24, and Canada took 90 percent of U.S. fresh carrot exports over the past three years, with Mexico taking 8 percent (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025).
The same kind of production and trade logic appears in other vegetables:
- California contracted processing tomato acreage is forecast to fall from 228 thousand acres in 2024 to 200 thousand acres in 2025 (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025).
- California contracted processing tomato production is forecast to fall from 11.3 million short tons to 10.2 million short tons (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025).
- The 2023 California Tomato Growers Association base contract price was $138 per ton for conventionally grown processing tomatoes (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025).
- Net exports of processed tomatoes ranged from 1.3 million to 2.18 million tons over the last five years, equal to 13 to 19 percent of domestic production (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025).
Fresh-market vegetables also weakened in 2024. U.S. fresh-market vegetable production fell 4 percent, while export volumes rose 7 percent and import volumes rose 2 percent (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025). Production of the top five fresh vegetables excluding potatoes fell 5 percent, lettuce utilized production fell 6 percent, and California harvested acres for lettuce fell 9 percent (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025).
A few more supply indicators
- Romaine lettuce accounted for 39 percent of harvested acres among lettuce types (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025).
- Head lettuce accounted for 36 percent of harvested acres among lettuce types (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025).
- Leaf lettuce accounted for 25 percent of harvested acres among lettuce types (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025).
- Fresh tomato import values were up 14 percent in the first two months of 2025, even though import volumes were up only 0.03 percent (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025).
Food safety context
Any fresh produce discussion is incomplete without food safety. The FDA’s produce outbreak review covered 40 outbreaks from 2006 to 2010, which caused 4,024 cases, 770 hospitalizations, and 20 deaths (Food Safety Modernization Act).
The breakdown by pathogen and product group shows why produce safety programs focus so heavily on traceability and prevention. Leafy greens were associated with 10 outbreaks, 527 cases, 220 hospitalizations, and 5 deaths (Food Safety Modernization Act). Jalapeno/Serrano peppers were associated with 1 outbreak, 1,495 cases, 315 hospitalizations, and 9 deaths (Food Safety Modernization Act). Sprouts were associated with 8 outbreaks, 496 cases, and 67 hospitalizations (Food Safety Modernization Act).
The microbial picture was broad. Salmonella was linked to 27 outbreaks, E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157:H7 were linked to 9 outbreaks, and Cyclospora was linked to 2 outbreaks, both tied to berries (Food Safety Modernization Act).
This is not a reason to avoid produce; it is a reason to understand the operational side of the category. FoodCORE and response systems exist because fresh produce is distributed widely, handled often, and consumed often. FDA had 19 state Rapid Response Teams in its national food safety system, and the CDC pilot FoodCORE program started with grants to 7 state and local public health agencies (Food Safety Modernization Act).
How to read these statistics together
The most useful way to read fresh produce statistics is to combine three layers at once:
- Price per serving or cup equivalent, which shows what shoppers face at the register (Fruit and Vegetable Prices - Highlights and Interactive Charts).
- Availability per person, which shows how much of the category exists in the system over time (Vegetable availability declined in 2024; Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials - Food Availability and Consumption).
- Supply and safety context, which explains why the category moves the way it does (Vegetables and Pulses Outlook: April 2025; Food Safety Modernization Act).
Seen together, the numbers say fresh produce is broad, resilient, and uneven. Some items are extremely affordable, some are premium, and many sit in the middle. Total vegetable availability can fall while fresh vegetables remain strong. Imports can rise while domestic production softens. And food safety remains a standing concern because the category is both essential and widely distributed.
For shoppers, the practical lesson is simple: there are multiple low-cost produce options in the market, and the cheapest items are not limited to one fruit or one vegetable. For analysts, the deeper lesson is that fresh produce statistics only make sense when price, availability, and supply-chain structure are read together.