Agronometrics in Charts: US fruit prices remain high in 2026

Each week, the series ‘Agronometrics In Charts’ examines a different horticultural commodity, focusing on a specific origin or topic and visualizing the trade market factors driving change. Check out our entire archive.

United States fresh fruit prices remained elevated in 2026, according to USDA data. The clearest year-over-year gains were at the consumer level, while grower prices held near last year's highs. The index received by growers for fruit and tree nuts reached 175 in July (2011=100), up 0.5 percent from July 2025 and eight percent from July 2024. The index also rose month over month from April through July.

Consumer prices rose more sharply. According to the US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for fresh fruit reached 425.2 (1982–84=100) in August 2026, up four percent from August 2025. The increase was broad-based, with three of the four Fresh Fruit CPI components posting year-over-year gains.

Image by Eduardo Soares via Unsplash.

Prices by commodity

Apples increased five percent, while the Other Fresh Fruit category also rose five percent, and citrus rose two percent. The Other Fresh Fruit category, which includes commodities such as strawberries, blueberries, avocados, melons and grapes, is the largest component of the Fresh Fruit CPI, accounting for 59 percent of its weight. Banana prices were the exception. They were higher year over year in June and July but fell 1.4 percent below year-ago levels in August.

The USDA notes that grower prices typically rise through the summer and fall as the mix of commodities marketed shifts toward higher-value fresh-market fruit and tree nuts. If the 2026 seasonal pattern follows historical trends, the grower price index is expected to peak between August and October, pointing to firm grower prices into the fall.

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.

*Graph courtesy of Agronometrics.| Top image by Rajiv Perera via Unsplash.

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Agronometrics in Charts: 2026 retail food prices hold steady as farm-level returns weaken