In 2022, the fresh date market underwent some significant adjustments and intriguing dynamics. Date palms have long played a significant part in international trade as one of the world’s oldest fruit trees that have been grown. Its fruit, the date, is a popular in health circles and a significant product in international markets due to its high fiber, potassium, and vitamin content.
Main Exporter: Iran
The top exporter of fresh dates worldwide historically has been Iran. It maintained its market dominance in 2022 by taking use of its excellent environment and extensive date palm crops. However, with their own huge date palm fields, other countries including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Pakistan are also key players.
Main Producers: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Iran
Even though Iran is the world’s largest exporter of dates, Iran and Egypt both hold the title of the fruit’s top producers. The production capacity of Saudi Arabia greatly increased in 2022. Due to their dry or semi-arid environments and abundant sunlight, these nations have the best climates for the cultivation of dates.
Main Importer: India
India remained the world’s top importer of fresh dates in 2022 due to its sizable population and cultural propensity for date consumption. The fruit is especially well-liked during Ramadan, when it is customary to eat it to break the fast. Due in major part to their sizable communities and the rising recognition of dates as a nutritious snack, France and the United Kingdom were also significant importers.
Global Market Size
In 2022, the size of the global market for fresh dates expanded significantly in comparison to earlier years. The estimated market size for fresh dates was $9.1 billion in 2022 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 7% from 2022 to 2027. The main drivers of this expansion are dates’ versatility in a variety of culinary applications and the increased awareness of their health benefits among the general population.
Main Brands
The market for fresh dates has seen a significant presence from a number of companies.
Gourmet dates are the trademark product of Saudi Arabia’s premier brand, Bateel International. To produce high-quality dates, they mix conventional farming techniques with contemporary agricultural techniques.
The Al Foah Company from the United Arab Emirates is another significant player. Al Foah holds the distinction of being one of the biggest businesses in the world that deals solely with dates, exporting to more than 48 nations.
The Deglet Nour brand from Tunisia is well-known for the dates that bear the same name, which are prized for their exceptional quality and distinctive, transparent appearance.