COVID-19 Impact on Fruit and Vegetable Markets: One Year Later

More than one year after the outbreak of COVID-19, fruit and vegetable markets
continue to adjust to the evolving landscape. In this article, we focus on three key measures of
input and output market performance that serve as indicators of the stability of fruit and
vegetable markets in the medium-term, and offer some insight for how these markets will
continue to adjust in the longer run. Specifically, we use data to highlight the most recent trends
in (i) the production and aggregate movement for major fruit and vegetable crops in the United
States and Canada, (ii) labour supply and immigration visa patterns, and (iii) U.S.-Canada trade
patterns for fruits and vegetables. We provide evidence that the fresh produce supply chain has
remained relatively robust in the months following the outbreak of COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19, fruit and vegetables, supply chains, international trade

JEL Classification: Q13

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Rickard, Bradley and Richards, Timothy J. and Chenarides, Lauren, COVID-19 Impact on Fruit and Vegetable Markets: One Year Later (March 2021). The SC Johnson College of Business Applied Economics and Policy Working Paper Series No. AEP WP No. 2021-04, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3933287 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3933287