Vegetables and melons situation and outlook yearbook.

Total production of vegetables, potatoes, melons, and pulse crops declined 5 percent in 2005. Part of this decline was offset through increased imports and the drawdown of processed vegetable inventories. However, exports also increased in 2005, leaving total domestic vegetable supplies down in 2005. With lower supplies and higher energy costs, retail prices for all fresh and processed fruits and vegetables averaged 4 percent above a year earlier. As a result, per capita disappearance (use) of all vegetables, potatoes, melons, and pulse crops declined 1 percent to 444 pounds (fresh-weight basis). Fresh-market vegetable consumption (including melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms) totaled about 224 pounds—down 2 percent from a year earlier. Fresh-market per capita use increased for commodities such as tomatoes, spinach, cucumbers, pumpkins, and romaine and leaf lettuce, and declined for broccoli, garlic, sweet corn, iceberg lettuce, and onions. Per capita disappearance of vegetables for processing (including potatoes and mushrooms) declined slightly to about 212 pounds in 2005. The vegetable and melon trade deficit widened in 2005 as the value of imports increased more than the value of vegetable and melon exports. In 2005, about 15 percent of all the vegetables and melons consumed domestically was imported, with 17 percent of fresh-market crops being sourced from other nations, compared with 14 percent a decade earlier.