Scope
Marketing Years
Sources
Updates
Units of Measure
Price Data
Import and Export Data
Readings

Scope

This data set contains statistics on vegetables and pulses, including commodity-specific data on fresh and processed-product markets (canned, frozen, dried, and other). The commodities covered include major fresh-market and processing vegetables, potatoes, mushrooms, dry pulses, and specialty vegetables and herbs. Melon data are now available in Fruit and Tree Nut Data.

ERS has previously published these data in conjunction with the report Vegetables and Pulses Outlook (previously, Vegetables and Melons Outlook) and in the annual Vegetables and Melons Yearbook and several commodity-specific data products. Descriptive information on these commodities is available in the Vegetables and Pulses topic page.

Marketing Years

Marketing years often begin in one calendar year and end in the next-for example, 2010/11 refers to the marketing year beginning in 2010 and ending in 2011. The national-level marketing years used by ERS are:

• Fresh market and processing vegetables, January 1-December 31
• Mushrooms, July 1-June 30
• Potatoes, September 1-August 30
• Sweet potatoes, July 1-June 30
• Dry beans, September 1-August 30
• Dry peas and lentils, July 1-June 30

Information on State-level marketing years and marketing seasons can be found in USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service's Agricultural Prices.

Sources

This data product currently contains:

• Trade (import and export) data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau.
• Retail prices and consumer and producer price indexes from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Coming in the future will be data from USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Marketing Service, and Farm Service Agency, data calculated by ERS, and others.

Updates

Vegetable and Pulses outlook tables are updated quarterly. Vegetable and Pulses Yearbook tables are updated annually. Data by Category and Data by Commodity are updated as data are available throughout the year. For example, trade and price data are updated monthly.

Units of Measure

Several units of measure are used in this data product.

• Average retail prices from Bureau of Labor Statistics are in dollar per pound unless otherwise indicated.
• Import and export data are reported in metric units (e.g., metric tons or liters) by the U.S. Census Bureau and converted to domestic (English) units by ERS (e.g., 1,000 pounds or 1,000 gallons).

Price Data

The price data currently available in this data set are from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and include national-level Producer Price Indexes (commodity data), Consumer Price Indexes (all urban consumers), and retail average prices for selected vegetables and melons. Information on data coverage and methodologies are available from BLS at:

• Databases, Tables, and Calculators by Subject
• Producer Price Indexes: Overview and Frequently Asked Questions
• Consumer Price Indexes (includes retail prices): Overview and Frequently Asked Questions

Import and Export Data

The trade tables in this data set are based on data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division. The import series used is imports for consumption, which excludes items imported into free trade zones or bonded warehouses until they are released for use. The export series used excluded items bound for re-export.

Census data utilize a complex set of product categories based on a coding system established by the World Customs Organization, called the International Harmonized Commodity Coding and Classification System, or simply Harmonized System (HS). Each country has the option of supplementing the international 6-digit HS codes with greater detail to meet its own needs. The United States adopted a 10-digit code system and began using it for U.S. trade on January 1, 1989. Exports codes, known as Schedule B in the United States, are administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Import codes, known as the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), are administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC).

For more information on U.S. trade data, see:

• Background Information for U.S. Agricultural Trade Data (part of ERS's Foreign Agricultural Trade of the United States (FATUS) data set)
• About Foreign Trade from the Census Bureau

Readings

Vegetables and Pulses Outlook-Published quarterly, this report provides current intelligence and forecasts the effects of changing conditions in the U.S. vegetable and pulses sector (including potatoes and mushrooms).

Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook-Published quarterly, this report provides current market developments affecting the U.S. fruit and tree nuts sector.

Fruit and Tree Nuts Data-Comprehensive statisticsrelated to fruit and nuts including citrus, other tree fruits, grapes, other small fruits, processed fruit, and fruit juices.

Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System-Includes three distinct but related data series on food and nutrients available for consumption in the United States.

Fruit and Vegetable Prices-Using 2008 Nielsen Homescan data, ERS estimated average retail prices for 153 commonly consumed fresh and processed fruits and vegetables.

U.S. and State Farm Income and Wealth Statistics-Includes U.S. and State-level data on annual and monthly cash receipts for vegetables and melons.

Fruit and Vegetable Market News-USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's portal for market news reports for fruit and vegetables.

Quick Stats-USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service's database of U.S., State, and county-level agricultural statistics.

Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS)-USDA Foreign Agricultural Service's database of trade statistics for agricultural, fish, forest and textile products from 1989 to the present.

Last updated: Thursday, July 05, 2012

For more information contact: Suzanne Thornsbury and Alberto Jerardo