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 Statistics : Produce Facts: Pineapple |
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Statistics | Fun Facts |
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| Statistics |
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80 countries worldwide product pineapples, totaling 32 million pounds yearly. |
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 Approximately 75% of the world’s pineapple supply originates from one of the following countries: Thailand, Philippines, Brazil, China, India, Costa Rica, Nigeria, Kenya, Mexico and Indonesia.
For the first three quarters of the 20th century, Florida and Hawaii were the leaders in US pineapple production, however by 1975 Thailand took the lead. The United States is now ranked as the 14th largest pineapple producer, having dropped from a 13% share in global production to 2%.
Popularity of fresh-market pineapples continues to outrank processed pineapple goods (including juice and canned varieties), as seen in 2002 when fresh-market pineapples sold for roughly $540/ton while processed pineapple goods sold for roughly $120/ton. |
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Pineapple is the 5th most consumed fruit in the United States and averaged 12.4 pounds per capita between 1998 and 2003 (totaling 4% of America’s per capita fruit consumption). |
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Though profits for processed pineapples are slowly declining, canned and juice imports still constitute 40% of America’s pineapple imports whereas fresh pineapple’s only represent 20%. |
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Canada receives nearly 90% of America’s fresh pineapple exports, upwards of 33% of America’s canned pineapple exports, and roughly 10% of America’s pineapple juice exports. |
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Please click on the images below to view larger graphs |
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Pineapple Production, in billion pounds
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USA Pineapple Production Value, per $1,000 |
USA Pineapple Consumption Per Capita, in pounds |
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Fun Facts |
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Pineapple ranks second amongst the most widely consumed tropical fruits. |
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There are an estimated 2,000 species of pineapple, almost exclusively grown in the tropics and subtropics of America (with the exception of one West African variety). |
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Pineapples are unique due to their water-absorbing leaf scales and three-parted flowers. |
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The name “pineapple” is derived from European explorers who thought the fruit looked like a pinecone with the flesh of an apple. |
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Historically, pineapples originated in southern Brazil and was spread through the South and Central American territories by Native Americans. |
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Pineapple was first introduced to Europe by Christopher Columbus who returned with the fruit from a voyage to the Caribbean, on the island of Guadeloupe. They were brought as a gift for Queen Isabella of Spain, who loved sweet tropical fruits. |
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Invented in 1901, canned pineapple did not reach mass consumption until 1911 when the invention of a machine which could remove the pineapple’s skin, inner core, and both ends in less than one minute. |
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Unlike most fruit, pineapples take roughly 18 months to grow and are picked at full maturity. |
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Only four types of pineapples are sold within the United States: Smooth Cayenne (3-5 pounds with yellow flesh), Red Spanish (square in shape, easy for shipping), Sugar Loaf (10 pounds with white flesh and a soft core), and Golden Supreme (low in acidity and high in sweetness, yellow flesh). |
Source: http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/vegetables/vegpdf/WatermelonFactors.pdf |
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