In a year when imports fell across so many different temperate fruit categories, the European Union's purchases of tropical and subtropical fruit rose significantly in 2014.

Using data from Eurostat, the latest 'EU F&V Import Trends' fact sheet from industry association Freshfel shows the category 'bananas and plantains' continued to hold top spot with 5.113 million metric tons (MT), representing year-on-year growth of 4%.

With a growth rate that was more than three times greater than the five-year average, pineapples took second spot from oranges, rising 9% to reach 934,028MT.

Avocados overtook the category 'guavas, mangoes and mangosteens', although both categories saw growth with rates of 20% and 4% respectively; with volumes of 302,193MT and 270,819MT respectively, they also overtook imports of pears and quinces for the first time.

The category 'exotic fruit' - including tamarinds, cashew apples, jackfruit, litchis, sapodillo plums, passion fruit, carambola, pitahaya and other edible fruit - witnessed a growth rate of 19% to reach 114,916MT.

Further down the list, papaya imports increased 33% to reach 35,601MT, overtaking strawberry imports for the first time.

While still representing a very small portion of the market, durian imports rose by 7% to achieve imports of 262MT, however this is still below the 513MT imported in 2009.

In terms of non-tropical fruits, orange imports fell 6% to 827,087MT, apple imports fell 26% to 494,895MT and non-EU lemon volume was down 18% at 358,740MT.

Decreases were also registered for imports of pears and quinces (-16%), kiwifruit (-20%), plums and sloes (-38%), and peaches and nectarines (-18%). Figs overtook cherries but both categories saw declines, at rates of 2% and 14% respectively.

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