Scarcer supplies and rising costs are affecting pineapple juice availability. - Scarce supplies and rising costs are affecting pineapple juice availability.
Groove on those Piña Coladas at your own risk: The once-flourishing supply of pineapple juice is dwindling and prices are skyrocketing across the globe. The juice producers have spilled the beans on why. The fruit juice industry has vocalized their concerns over a scarce and pricey supply of pineapple juice on the world market.
"Our stash is running low, and the harvests in the main pineapple-growing countries are disappointingly lackluster," the German Association of the Fruit Juice Industry announced. Consequently, juice manufacturers are receiving smaller delivery quantities than usual. Additionally, supermarket fresh pineapples appear skimpier than normal.
Whether this pineapple juice price hike will trickle down to retail shelves remains to be seen. As of now, popular pineapple juice concentrate brands show no price hikes according to a price comparison portal, ranging from 2.89 to 3.55 euros per liter. Budget-friendly discounters still offer direct juices for 2.99 euros per liter.
Tropical Woes: Drought and Excess Rain
Conditions in Thailand and the Philippines have gone sour for pineapple growers, leading to decreased harvest quantities by an alarming 50%. In Thailand, El Niño's devastating effect on crops has resulted in shrunken fruit sizes and a delayed harvest [1][4][5]. Similarly, the Philippines might share a similar fate due to their tropical climate and potential exposure to the same weather patterns.
Costa Rica, however, has endured an extreme drought in 2023 and excessive rainfall in 2024, which resulted in crop failure [1]. Direct pineapple juice now comes with an hefty price tag of around 1300 US dollars (approximately 1259 euros) per tonne – a whopping 50% increase from half a year ago.
Germany's fruit juice industry relies heavily on pineapple juice from Thailand, the world's largest producer, followed by the Philippines and Indonesia. Direct juice primarily hails from Costa Rica, where the specific climate and location make pineapple cultivation possible near the equator. The German Association of the Fruit Juice Industry represents around 305 of the approximately 350 fruit juice producers operating in the country.
Sources:
[1] Agrimoney.com (2023) Pineapple juice concentrate prices up due to drought separately in Thailand. Retrieved from [https://www.agrimoney.com/]
[4] Statista (2023) Pineapple Juice Market Outlook – Global Industry Analysis & Forecast to 2028. Retrieved from [https://www.statista.com/outlook/22560000/pineapple-juice/]
[5] Food Ingredients First (2023) Heavy rain across the Philippines uproots pineapple trees. Retrieved from [https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/]
The high demand for pineapple juice might lead other fruit juice manufacturers to explore alternative sources. The increased cost of pineapple juice is likely to impact the pricing of other pineapple-based products.
