Fruits are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, and they are high in fiber. Fruits also provide a wide range of health-boosting antioxidants, including flavonoids.
Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce a person’s risk of developing heart disease, cancer, inflammation, and diabetes. Citrus fruits and berries may be especially powerful for preventing disease.
The article illustrates the leading producers of fresh fruit worldwide since 2020. China was ranked first among these countries, producing some 242.79 million metric tons of fruit that year.
The term horticulture was coined first by Latins, it deals with the fruit-producing prospect of agriculture.
Main Highlights
Fruit can boost economic development in various aspects.
Chinese fruit markets are highly fragmented and competitive, so importers need to have a close relationship with a Chinese counterpart on the ground
- The article discusses the global leading producer of fruit in the world.
1. China- (Leading fruit producer since 2020)
China tops the list by being the world’s largest fruit and vegetable producer. It produced around 45 million metric tons of apples in the year 2020 and the production volume of grapes was 14.3 million metric tons. China is without a doubt one of the most cultivated centers of plants in the world.
Apple is far ahead in terms of production, followed by fruits like persimmon, plum, apricot, walnut, chestnut, and kiwi. Other deciduous fruits like almonds, cherries, and figs are also grown in limited amounts.
2. India
India has always been known for its agricultural practices, agriculture being the primary occupation. Its diverse climate also helps to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. According to the national horticulture database, India produced 99.07 metric tons of fruits in the year 2019-2020. India stands first in the production of bananas, mangoes, and guavas. Grapes, oranges, and pomegranates also account for a major part of the production.
It also became a major export point for fruits, supplying the UK, UAE, Malaysia, and many more. In 2020-2021 India produced fruits worth 674 million USD.
3. Brazil
Brazil has a diverse variety of fruits that are hard to find elsewhere like mapati and umbu. It is also home to exotic fruits like mango, avocado, pineapple, maracuja, and persimmon. Brazil is the largest supplier of oranges, producing more than 17 million metric tons of oranges in the year 2019. It was also the leading orange producer in the year 2020. Bananas and oranges together make up half of the gross fruit production in Brazil.
The farmers are getting more educated about farming technologies and the government is also planning to invest more in the agricultural sector soon.
4. The United States of America
In the US, California is the largest producer of fruits like strawberries, peaches, grapes, nectarines, plums, and many more. Its accounts for half of the country’s fruit production. Other important fruit-producing states are Florida, Michigan, Oregon, New York, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
The climate of Florida is well-suited for citrus crops like lemons and oranges. However, the US has experienced a drop in fruit export in recent years, with apple exports witnessing a drop of $105 million.
5. Spain
Agriculture is one of the dominant occupations in Spain with fruit production being an important sector. It is often said to have the potential to become a fresh produce hub for non-European countries. It accounts for 40.1% area of Europe for fruit production.
Citrus fruits dominate the fruit cultivation sector with the majority being oranges, lemons, and other small citrus fruits. Avocados, watermelons, peaches, and peppers are also some of the major fruits. The non-citrus fruit production of Spain was around 1.23 million metric tons in the year 2020.
6. Mexico
Fruit cultivation in Mexico is driven by both public and private sectors to increase agricultural production. Mangoes, bananas, oranges, lemons, and limes are some of the common fruits in Mexico. The most consumed fruit is orange, with 37.2 kilograms being the average per capita consumption. Mexico has also been the lead world avocado producer, followed by the Dominican Republic.
According to FOASTAT, Mexico was the lead producer of avocados in the year 2019-2020, producing around 2393849 tons and exporting around 1158.894 tons.
7. Italy
Like Spain, Italy is also a major fruit producer and exporter in Europe. It has produced 10 million tons of fruits in the last year. After Spain, Italy is the 2nd largest producer of citrus fruits.
Its diverse climate allows it to grow fruits like apples, pears, citrus fruits, kiwis, and figs. 60% of the cultivation is done in regions like Sicily, Campania, Calabria, and Apulia. Italy exports about 1/3rd of its production, with significant export points being Germany, Switzerland, France, and Poland.
8. Indonesia
Indonesia has seen a surge in fruit and vegetable production in the past few years. Coconut exports in Indonesia have grown by a whopping 189%, while guavas, mangoes, and mangosteens grew by 134%. The majority of Indonesia’s exports are delivered to China, followed by the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan.
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, Indonesia exported 853 tons of fruits to Vietnam alone in the year 2019. Durian, a fruit native to Indonesia is also exported to other countries.
