In a survey for new members of the LinkedIn Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group, I ask about “biggest challenges and biggest opportunities” for this year.
Here are some answers from up and down the supply chain and around the world; responses seem to pull more from “challenges” rather than opportunities:
- Increase in packaging prices;
- Covid/social distancing in stores- inhibits secondary displays;
- Increasing my customer base and reaching new markets;
- COVID-19 slowed down the market;
- We have the challenge of reaching more customers without trade shows - the biggest opportunity is to assist industries not too affected by COVID-19 like in the food industry;
- Capital;
- Sales and expanding our partnership
- Handling COVID biggest challenge, biggest opportunity is expanding our SKU categories;
- Meeting new clients;
- Growth. Organics; and
- Health concerns for employees
Fresh produce imports keep on rising and exports are holding about steady to dipping slightly.
That’s the shorthand version of the trade picture in 2020.
Below is the 2020 trade performance of fruits and vegetables in four charts, based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Note that U.S. imports of vegetables were especially strong in 2020.
