Guatemala grew in importance as a supplier of organic produce to the U.S. market in 2023-24, according to USDA trade statistics.
U.S. imports of greenhouse-grown organic bell peppers totaled $289,000 from November 2023 to October 2024, up 52% from the same period the previous year.
U.S. imports of organic tomatoes from Guatemala have also risen, from $52,000 in 2022-23 to $208,000 from November 2023 to October 2024 — a threefold increase.
On the other hand, imports of organic blackberries from Guatemala fell from $216,000 in 2022-23 to $85,000 in 2023-24, a decline of 61%.
U.S. imports of organic strawberries from Guatemala dropped from $44,000 in 2022-23 to $8,000 in 2023-24, according to USDA numbers.
U.S. imports of organic bananas from Guatemala also fell in the past year, dropping to $51,000 in 2023-24 from $118,000 the previous year.
Among Caribbean countries, the Dominican Republic is an important supplier of organic bananas. U.S. imports of organic bananas from the Dominican Republic from November 2023 through October 2024 totaled $459,000, up 30% from the previous year.
