MONTEREY, CA - With health on the top of everyone’s mind, it’s no surprise that fresh produce is also at the top of consumers’ shopping lists. But, according to the April 2020 Organic Produce Performance Report conducted by the Organic Produce Network and Category Partners, it’s organic fresh produce that is really earning top dollars in the produce aisle.

“Organic produce growth continued at a strong pace during the month of April. Sales and volume growth rates in organic produce continued to be larger than conventional, generating strong year over year dollar increases,” said Matt Seeley, CEO of the Organic Produce Network. “Despite economic challenges created by the COVID-19 quarantine, consumers show no indications of shifting purchases away from organic fruit and vegetables.”

In fact, total organic fresh produce sales continued to soar in April, building on the explosive numbers in March by increasing 18.4 percent from last year and outpacing conventional produce products in both dollars and volume, according to a press release. Last month saw elevated sales across the entire supermarket, with April retail sales across the total store up significantly compared to the same period last year helping organic fresh produce sales top $542.4 million.

In addition to sales, organic volume in the month of April 2020 increased 20.5 percent from April 2019. Conventional produce volume, on the other hand, was only up 15.4 percent, with dollars increasing by 16.3 percent. The top 10 categories for organic volume drove 72 percent of the total category movement, and the big four items—packaged salads, carrots, apples, and bananas—were responsible for more than half (52 percent) of the total organic retail volume.

The April 2020 Organic Produce Performance Report utilized Nielsen retail scan data covering total food sales and outlets in the United States over the month of April.

For more insights into the fresh produce market, stick around with AndNowUKnow.

Organic Produce Network Category Partners