According to FAOSTAT, the production of tropical and subtropical fruits was estimated to have increased nearly 20 million tons during the past 5 years to approximately 261 million tons in 2003. Countries in Asia account for 65.3 % of total world production. This was followed by Latin America 13.7 %, Africa 9.2 % Europe 3.7 % and Oceania 0.5 %.
While tropical fruit production has increased, it has also been reported that an estimated 10-20 % of tropical fruits harvested are wasted or spoilt due to poor post-harvest handling. This is further exacerbated when there is overproduction or glut.
more...
