A low papaya supply, coupled with a steady demand for the tropical fruit is creating a tightening of papayas prices for U.S. markets.
“Papayas are coming from Mexico, Guatemala and Belize, and due to weather and growing conditions in these areas, we have short supply right now,” explained Alan Goldberg of A & B Tropical Produce in Miami, Florida.
Current papaya pricing is $20.00-$22.00 per box, which can range from 6-15 papayas, depending on the individual fruit’s size.
“Prices were lower a few weeks ago, but now they are tightening up,” said Goldberg, who added that he expects this to change as weather and growing conditions improve in the coming weeks.
One thing is constant: the growing interest in the tropical fruit.
“I’ve been in the business since 1988, and there’s been an incredible increase in papaya consumption,” said Goldberg. Citing a greater awareness of papaya’s health benefits stemming from news and social media reports, Goldberg said that more people are eating the fruit.
“People are generally becoming more aware of the benefits of putting food into their body that is good for them.”
