The Monthly Price of Brazilian Papaya Fell Due to Low Domestic and International Demand

The wholesale price of Hawaiian papayas in Brazil has been consistently declining since August 2022, a trend continuing into September. August's monthly average price dropped to USD 0.85/kg, a significant 51% decrease from July. By mid-September, the price had further dipped to USD 0.79/kg, driven by reduced domestic demand and an oversupply of papayas.
The wholesale price for Hawaiian papayas in Brazil has taken a downward trend since Aug-22 and has continued to do so in Sept-22. The monthly average price in August stood at USD 0.85 per kilogram (kg), a 51% reduction from the monthly average price in July. By the second week of September, the monthly average price dropped to USD 0.79/kg. The price decrease was mainly driven by the low fruit demand, as seen in the domestic market, along with high volumes of Hawaiian papayas from the main producing regions since July. The high production volumes come after a previous shortage in May when the papaya harvest was delayed and registered low volumes, causing the Hawaiian papaya prices to increase. The low domestic demand has been attributed to the Independence holidays limiting sales. However, the low demand for Brazilian papayas has also been experienced in the international market as exports have registered a decrease in volume. In May-22, Brazilian papaya exports plunged compared to the previous year. The volume shipped was 3,330 metric tons (mt) in the month, down 3% compared to April and 21% compared to May-22. The decrease is related to the economic crisis in Europe, Brazil's leading market, which encouraged buyers to focus on locally grown fruits.