Oman’s fruit, vegetable imports rise by 11.6%

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Muscat – Oman’s import of fruits and vegetables rose 11.6% in 2024 till the end of May valued at RO110.34mn compared to RO98.89mn during the same period in 2023, according to the latest data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

Oman’s export of fruits and vegetables was valued at RO13.59mn this year till May.

The total weight of Oman’s imports saw a significant increase from 306.58mn kg in 2023 to 320.57mn kg in 2024. This surge in imports underscores the growing demand for fresh produce in the sultanate, driven by both domestic consumption and re-export activities.

Vegetable imports showed the maximum growth, with the value increasing 44.9% to RO42.65mn till May this year, up from RO29.44mn for the same period in 2023. The weight of imported vegetables also rose from 139.66mn kg to 146.15mn kg in this period.

India, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen were the leading suppliers of vegetables to Oman.

The value of fruit imports decreased marginally – 2.5% – from RO69.46mn during the first five months of 2023 to RO67.69mn for the same period in 2024, although the total weight of fruit imports increased from 166.92mn kg to 174.42mn kg.

Egypt, India and the UAE remained the top sources of imported fruits.

The value of fruit and vegetable exports went up from RO11.92mn till May in 2023 to RO13.59mn till May this year. The total weight of exports increased from 49.42mn kg to 59.57mn kg.

Notably, the value of fruit exports increased 40.1% from RO3.32mn to RO4.65mn.

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were the primary destinations for Omani vegetable exports, while Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE were the top markets for fruit exports.

Re-export activities also showed an upward trend with the total value reaching RO2.44mn by May 2024, up from RO2.13mn in the same period of 2023.

While the value of fruit re-exports increased 26.7%, the value of vegetable re-exports fell 19.2%.

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, the UAE and Vietnam were among the key destinations for re-exports.

The retail sector for fresh fruits, vegetables and dates has expanded with 654 establishments operating across Oman as of May 2024 reflecting increasing demand and the sultanate’s strategic role as a hub for fresh produce in the region.