A heavy brake on the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in Italy
occurred after the lockdown period. As of June, the decrease compared to 2019 was sharp, a drop of -6.8%, which was the sum of purchases recorded in the month for no more than 570 thousand tons. This was disclosed by the Market Observatory of CSO Italy on the basis of GFK surveys.
In June all purchases recorded lower quantities compared to 2019, in almost all cases even the lowest since 2016. The average purchase prices recorded in June 2020 are instead the highest in the five-year period for all sales channels, with the highest increases in Central and Southern Italy. The organic sector has also slowed down, but in June it equalled last year's quantities. The purchase trend of packaged fruit and vegetables, on the other hand, confirmed its growth with +6%, in line with the trend of the period.
The month of June has heavily affected the final balance of the first half of the year, which remains positive, but only by 1% (which rises to 2% for organic fruit and vegetables). The consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables among Italian families from January to June reached 3.1 million tons. The expenditure exceeds 6.3 billion euro, with a 2% increase. The average price rises by 1% (2.03 euro/kg). Each family purchased 120 kg of fruit and vegetables in the semester, about 400 grams more than in 2019, with an average expenditure of 244 euros per household, which was 4 euro higher than last year.
Similarly, apples, oranges and potatoes, which were the leading products of the stay-at-home period, also saw lower sales in June, while all the main summer products (including stone fruit) recorded lower sales than last year. Compared to this general negative trend, melons and grapes were an exception, but the latter entered the market in June with small quantities. Among the vegetables in the semester, potatoes are stable, while tomato consumption is decreasing.
With regard to sales channels, the six-month period closed with a positive balance sheet compared to 2019 in the supermarkets, discount stores and mini-markets. On the contrary, the local markets registered negative results, while the specialized retail sector remained stable. Overall, the most critical situation in this increasingly gloomy national scenario for the consumption of fruit and vegetables, was recorded in the South and in Sicily.
"Unfortunately, the trend registered in June confirms the fears and perplexities that have already emerged in the previous months. Unfortunately the rise in fruit and vegetable consumption in the two months of lockdown were offset by strong losses in the Ho.Re.Ca channel. So, the trend registered in June most likely did not compensate for these losses," commented CSO Italy's director Elisa Macchi.
