Bell pepper is widely grown in the US, although its production is mainly concentrated in California and Florida. Georgia and New Jersey are complementing production with slightly lower volumes. However, to meet the constant demand in the fresh bell pepper market, the US imports more bell pepper each year, and conversely, its exports have decreased.
For US buyers, the good news is the supply of fresh bell peppers has been on the rise in recent years, with the USDA reporting a steady increase. This has been primarily driven by an increase in imports from other countries such as Mexico and Canada.
US bell pepper had a production volume of 1.04 billion pounds in 2022, slightly higher than year-ago production of 972.5 million pounds. This increase in bell pepper production aligned with the increase in acreage in 2022 to 31,700, compared with 31,000 in the previous year. In 2020, the bell pepper acreage was more expansive at 35,000 acres.
Despite local production, the following table will show how the US has been increasingly reliant on external sources. US bell pepper imports went from 2.56 billion pounds to 2.79 billion pounds between 2019 and 2022, a significant increase that has benefited growers from other countries, who have seen more and more opportunities in the US bell pepper market.
Source: producepay.com