Status of the date palm industry in the United States

Despite being ranked 16^th in world date production, the United States has a vibrant and progressive date palm industry. In 2020, almost 57,000 MT were produced, mostly of the ‘Deglet Noor’ and ‘Medjool’ cultivars, valued at almost USD$ 200,000,000. Domestic date consumption is slowly increasing, while a significant portion of the crop is exported. Imports play a key role as well. This presentation will include the most up-to-date production, consumption, import and export statistics. Details of the actions that US date producers are taking to decrease production costs and increase sustainability will be presented. Also, results from a survey of consumer preferences and subsequent measures that are being launched to increase domestic consumption of fresh fruit and value-added products will be highlighted. Finally, the status of several insect and disease pests that threaten the industry will be detailed.