Italy: Tropical fruit is increasingly present in the purchasing habits of Italians

One in 4 families buys avocado at least once a year, while the penetration rate of mango is slightly lower, involving one in 5 families. The success of the two products is demonstrated by the significant progression of imports and the growth of investments in the South of Italy, thanks to climate change which favors the planting of tropical varieties. The success of avocado in the Italian market is demonstrated by the progression of imports over the last five years. In fact, we went from around 20 million kg (net of re-exported quantities) in 2018 to around 45 million kg in 2022 (+120%). In 2023, the cumulative data for the January-May period indicate a further increase in imports of 4% compared to the same period of 2022. The internal requirement is covered not only by the imported product but also by Italian production which, although limited to one or two million of kg (this is an estimate as there are no official data relating to national production), is increasing year after ...