‘Sky is the limit’ for fresh suppliers moving into dried

Fresh fruit suppliers could benefit from rapidly growing demand for dried fruit and nuts based on changing consumer habits and huge growth in key consumer markets. 

That was the view of speakers at a session on dried fruit and nuts at this year’s Showcase Stage at Asiafruit Congress, as a new addition to this year’s programme, looking at opportunities for diversification across categories. 

Sumit Saran, director of marketing agency SS Associates, said fresh suppliers moving into dried could find the “sky is the limit”, particularly in India where the market is set to grow by 12-19 per cent.

“I think there is deep commonality between fresh and dried,” he said. “I think the consumers are the same, the challenges and aspirations are the same. If these two industries collaborate, the sky is the limit. Both have taste and nutrition as the driving force.”

SS Associates markets Chilean walnuts and prunes, Australian almonds and Washington apples into India, with Saran adding that “American pistachios are one of the fastest-growing products” in the country.  

India is a major importer of nuts, particularly almonds, as well as dates. It produces and consumes cashew, raisins and fox nuts, and has a small production of walnut where demand is growing. 

“Consumption in India is shifting,” said CEO of India’s Nuts & Dry Fruits Council, Nitin Sehgal. “What was once limited to a festive occasion for gifts, nuts are now becoming part of our daily diet as energy boosters for healthy professions or snacks for schoolchildren.”

In terms of dried fruit, red is considered to be an auspicious colour in India, which fuels demand for dried cranberries and brings opportunities for other red fruit. “We are consistently getting requests for dried cherries,” explained Saran. “That’s one of the things we see in cranberries, the red colour really stands out.”

“For most dried fruit, India doesn’t produce anything. These are gigantic markets and gigantic shifts,” he added.

The other trend set to benefit dried fruit suppliers is the ’snackification’ of breakfast. “This Gen Z has a very snack-like breakfast, which means there is a chance of mid morning snacking, and mid afternoon snacking. Dried fruit and nuts are fitting that trend,” said Saran.

Climate change is top concern for nut producers 

Exporters and suppliers are already seeing the benefit of diversification into dried fruit and nuts, although a changing climate is making production more unpredictable. 

Chilean farmer and director of trade body Chile Almonds, Jose Tomas Contador, explained how members have grown exports of almonds by 61 per cent in the last year, thanks to a new agreement with China. “We have to look for other opportunities, not just cherries, or almonds or lemons,” he said.

“Climate change is the biggest challenge that almonds have. Sudden temperature variations impact flowering and means yields are different every year,” added Contador, who said Chilean almond growers are also experiencing warm winters that is affecting dormancy of harvests over winter.

One of the biggest booms in nuts has been in walnuts, where the global harvested crop reached 2.7m tonnes in 2025. 

“Walnut growth has been explosive over the last few years, after years of steady growth,” said Pamela Graviet of the California Walnut Commission, who puts it down to increased planting and increase demand.

The Californian Walnut Commission has been targeting younger consumers in the US by working with so-called ‘micro influencers’, social media creators who have a small but highly engaged following.

“A big thing in the younger generation is home entertaining,” she continued. “They do these very fancy parties, with plates, napkins and flowers, and they look at walnuts as the beautiful part of the table.” 

Social media is the best way to reach these younger consumers, according to Graviet, who says the organisation looks for creators working in fitness or cooking. “They trust influencers more than they do the news,” she said.

Californian exporters are also seeing potential for walnuts in Japan, Korea, India and Taiwan, where baked goods are one of the primary drivers of demand. 

“This year the prices went up for the first time in a long time,” said Graviet, who noted low prices over a number of years have been unsustainable for growers. “They’re still a bargain for the nutritional value, but the price is a lot higher than it has been in previous years.”