The global pineapple market continues to face tight supply and elevated prices, driven by weather disruptions, logistic delays, and shifting export priorities. From North America to Europe and beyond, buyers and traders are navigating reduced availability and strong demand ahead of key consumption periods. In North America, supply remains tight due to earlier adverse weather in Costa Rica, while steady demand ahead of Easter is keeping prices firm. Mexican supply helps fill gaps, though freight to the West Coast remains a challenge.
In Italy, limited availability and changing consumer preferences are driving prices up, with weather-related production issues in Central America compounding the shortage. High input costs and export competition from non-EU markets further strain local supply. Spain recorded its highest pineapple import levels in a decade, with re-exports also on the rise. Costa Rica remains the top supplier, while several other sources reduced shipments compared to 2023.
© Viola van den Hoven-Katsman | FreshPlaza.com
In the Netherlands, delayed arrivals and reduced volumes have disrupted the supply chain, creating artificial demand. Prices have risen sharply, with some open market transactions reaching €18. Germany continues to face limited volumes from Costa Rica and high freight costs. Wholesalers report persistently elevated prices, which have lasted longer than typical seasonal trends.
In France, high prices and limited volumes have created what traders call an unprecedented market situation. Logistical issues and redirection of supply to North America have further constrained availability. South Africa is seeing improved pineapple quality following earlier rains that had caused a brief glut. Prices have stabilised, though they remain lower than the February peak driven by temporary shortages.
Costa Rica is in peak season, with record prices driven by strong industrial demand linked to a global orange juice shortage. This has limited fresh market availability despite stable logistics. In Panama, production has doubled to meet strong demand in Europe and the Middle East. Despite smaller fruit sizes due to weather, all available produce is being sold, and the market remains active.
North America: Tight supply supports firm pricing ahead of Easter
Pineapple supply in North America remains tight due to earlier adverse weather in Costa Rica, a major producing country. Since pineapples take a year to mature, the impact of last year's conditions is still being felt. However, supply has increased slightly over the past week.
With Costa Rican volumes limited, Mexico has been filling some of the gaps. Still, freight costs from Texas, where Mexican fruit enters the U.S., pose challenges for reaching the West Coast competitively.
Demand for pineapples has been strong and is expected to remain steady through Easter, a period that typically sees higher consumption across various commodities, including pineapples.
Market prices have remained in the double digits, previously reaching up to $20 (approximately €18.40), before easing slightly to around $15–$16 (approximately €13.80–€14.70). Prices are expected to strengthen slightly with the upcoming holiday.
Italy: Low availability and shifting preferences drive pineapple prices higher
"Pineapples have had a good market since the end of the holiday season," says a wholesaler from Campania. "Demand is not high because supply is limited due to weather changes that have affected production and other global events. Prices are high because there is a shortage of about 70–80% of the product. Suffice it to say that a standard pineapple is quoted at €1.80/kg, a high price for the period. In addition, for many months now, consumers have begun to prefer ready-to-eat or plant-ripened pineapple, which follows faster logistics but requires higher costs than the standard product. The consumption of this reference is there, also because now pineapple, avocado, and mango have become part of the daily diet of Italian shoppers, and therefore these products are no longer considered exotic, but a constant in all seasons."
A wholesaler in northern Italy says he has not handled pineapples for a few months due to large price increases. In addition, the average quality is not the best. To make a profit, he would need to sell pineapples at €2.50/kg wholesale, but he feels this is too high for his customers and prefers to wait for the market to return to normal. These large price increases are caused by the lack of product due to adverse weather conditions in Central America.
An importer from central Italy confirms: "In Costa Rica, our main supplier of pineapples, the first months of 2025 were marked by an unfavorable climatic change. In January and February, heavy rains and little sunshine affected the quality of the fruit. Then, in March, the opposite: lots of sun and very little rain. Pineapples need a balance between the two to develop properly. This had a negative impact on the yield and exportable quality."
To make matters worse, there is increased demand from non-EU markets, such as the United States, which are willing to pay higher prices to secure the quantities they want. "This has taken additional volumes away from countries such as Italy and Spain," the importer explains, "which have always been major consumers of pineapples."
According to the operator, the first quarter of 2025 was much more favorable for importers compared to last year. "This is due to a particular dynamic between supply and demand: there is less product available on the market and, as a result, prices increase. However, this is not a real increase in consumption, but rather an effect of product scarcity."
Spain: 2024 marks a decade high in pineapple imports and re-exports
Spain's pineapple imports in 2024 reached their highest level in the past ten years, totaling nearly 185,900 tons and €165.92 million. Costa Rica remained the leading supplier by a wide margin, followed by Panama, Ecuador, the Netherlands, the Ivory Coast, and Portugal. Among these, only Panama maintained stable trade levels with Spain, while the others showed notable changes compared to 2023.
Costa Rica increased its shipments by 4%, reaching 166,900 tons. Ecuador, however, saw a 17% decrease, from 5,025 tons in 2023 to 4,151 tons in 2024. The Ivory Coast reduced its exports to Spain by 45%, from 2,628 tons to 1,435 tons. Portugal also experienced a sharp decline of nearly 50%, falling below 1,100 tons in 2024. This is a notable drop from 2022, when both Portugal and the Ivory Coast each exported approximately 3,600 tons to Spain, according to Ministry of Commerce data.
In contrast, the Netherlands significantly increased its pineapple exports to Spain by 116.6%, shipping a total of 2,021.08 tons in 2024.
In the pineapple trade—a leading tropical fruit globally by export volume—re-exports have become increasingly important. Spain's pineapple exports have grown by 63% over two years, from 33,342 tons in 2022 to 54,357 tons in 2024. This growth has notably strengthened trade with key EU partners: Portugal (+47%), Germany (+475.5%), Italy (+38%), Austria (+1,600%), and Hungary (+353%). Spain also expanded exports to Morocco by 37% compared to 2023.
Within Spain, Andalusia is the top importing region for pineapple, with the province of Cádiz importing volumes nearly equal to those of all Catalonia.
Netherlands: Delays disrupt supply and inflate demand in the pineapple market
Delays are playing a crucial role in the current state of the pineapple market. "Demand is perfect, but all arrivals are delayed and with lower volumes. Production in Costa Rica is also low due to significant rainfall during the winter, and now the weather is extremely dry. We expect minimal arrivals in Europe until the end of the month," says a Dutch importer.
As a result of this disruption, supermarkets and processing plants are either not being supplied or are receiving their deliveries too late. This is creating a form of artificial demand, as once stocks run out, customers begin seeking supply from other importers, and the situation reverses during the next cycle. Prices on the open market currently range from €12 to as high as €18, though these higher prices are not achievable under fixed supply agreements.
Germany: Tight supply and high freight costs sustain elevated pineapple prices
Most of the pineapple supply in Germany currently originates from Costa Rica. Available volumes remain relatively low compared to consistently high demand. The limited supply is partly attributed to the rainy season in the producing regions and its impact on cultivation, as well as delays in both air and sea freight transport. Freight costs, particularly for air cargo, continue to be high.
The constrained supply situation is directly influencing price levels. "We have been seeing a very high price level for weeks now. High prices are typical for this time of year, but this year, they have persisted for an unusually long time," a wholesaler notes.
France: High prices and low volumes create unprecedented market conditions
Pineapple prices in France are currently very high, with insufficient volumes arriving from Costa Rica. One operator describes the situation as unprecedented. Three key factors contribute to the current market conditions. First, production issues caused by heavy rainfall have resulted in pineapples lacking colour and being shipped in very small sizes. Second, logistical challenges, including empty container shortages and limited vessel availability, have disrupted supply. Most significantly, volumes typically allocated to the European market are now being redirected to North America, where purchasing power is higher. As a result, meeting demand in France has become increasingly difficult, and prices continue to rise.
South Africa: Pineapple quality improves as market stabilises
Two weeks ago, there was a slight glut in the market with some quality issues, according to a market trader in Gauteng, but the situation has since stabilised. "Now there's a nice flow, the quality is much better, and it's back to normal," the trader says.
Heavy rainfall had affected quality, but a grower in KwaZulu-Natal notes that this is still preferable to the drought conditions experienced recently.
Currently, the average price is R100 (approximately €4.60) per box of good-quality fruit or R10.52 (approximately €0.50) per kilogram. This is down from R15 (€0.69) per kilogram in February, when a shortage caused prices to rise. The peak season typically runs during the Southern Hemisphere summer, from October to December.
Costa Rica: Record prices and industrial demand limit fresh pineapple availability
Costa Rica's pineapple industry—across both fresh and Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) segments—is facing mounting challenges due to weather disruptions, strong industrial demand, and shifting market dynamics. The country is currently in its peak pineapple production season, but adverse weather events have significantly reduced yields and altered harvest cycles, tightening supply across the board.
Record prices are being recorded, with fruit in the field reaching $0.58 per kilo (approximately €0.54) and up to $11 per box FOB (approximately €10.15). In the IQF segment, the current Expana Benchmark Price (EBP) for pineapple chunks is $1.17 per pound (approximately €1.09), a 33% year-on-year increase. Pineapple tidbits are priced at $1.13 per pound (approximately €1.05), up 41% compared to the same period last year. These increases reflect pressures driven by limited availability and rising demand from both fresh and processed markets.
A significant driver behind these market shifts is the global shortage of orange juice, which has intensified industrial demand for pineapple. Juice processors are now absorbing a growing share of the crop, often offering premium prices that exceed those in the fresh trade. Smaller pineapples, previously channeled into IQF or export markets, are being redirected toward juice production, creating supply gaps for processors and exporters alike.
Exporters note that despite relatively stable logistics, thanks to existing contract arrangements, the combination of high input costs, internal competition for fruit, and ongoing weather challenges is disrupting supply chains and contract fulfilment. The current high-price environment is expected to continue, potentially persisting through 2026.
Panama: Production doubles as strong demand drives an active market
Panama is doubling its pineapple production to meet strong demand, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Although an extreme summer has affected fruit size, all available fruit is currently being sold. No impacts from tariffs have been reported in the United States, though the primary export focus remains on Europe. The market remains active and is absorbing all fruit types as long as demand stays high.
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