According to Organic Produce Network and Category Partners, total organic fresh produce sales for the third quarter of 2021 increased 3% from the same period last year, nearing $2.3 billion in sales during the third quarter. By contrast, conventionally grown fresh produce sales grew by 1.3% during the same period, while overall volume declined 2.3%.
The findings were published in the network’s latest Organic Produce Performance Report. Among the strongest performers were the sales of berries. The organic berry category (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries) was the No. 1 organic segment in dollar sales with an 11% increase in dollar growth and topping $407 million for the third quarter. The berry category also saw volume growth rise 7.3% during the same period.
The report also found apples showed the largest sales dollar increase for the third quarter of 2021, an increase of 12.7% and lettuce, citrus, and bananas all delivered volume gains. One category which showed a drop in volume sales was packaged salad which fell 0.8%