FAO gives a comprehensive list and descriptions of thirty-six primary fruit crops including the botanical names. Because of the great variation between types of fruit the proportion of edible parts also varies. Production should normally relate to fruits actually harvested. Many products specifically derived from fruits are listed. But many other products, which ultimately derive from fruits, cannot be identified with their primary commodity due to limitations of international trade classifications.

OECD asks for usable/harvested production of fresh fruit in 1000 metric tons. Sixteen fruit crops (excluding citrus fruit) are mentioned citing a common international classification list adopted by FAO, EUROSTAT and OECD in 1960. Seven categories of citrus fruit are mentioned, as are table olives. Three types of fruit products are mentioned.

EUROSTAT collates the results from a directive for a survey of plantations of fruit. This lays down the survey methods to be adopted every five years to obtain the production of seven species of fruit trees in each Member State. The Member State must carry out the surveys so that results can be expressed according to combinations of variety of fruit, age classes of trees and densities of plantation.

A regulation requires the relevant Member States to carry out surveys every ten years on the area under vines, dividing the area according to its normal production, such as wine production or table grape production, etc. Results are recorded by grape varieties and by age of the vines. Annual surveys report changes of area of the vineyards, whether plantings or grubbings. The surveys can be either exhaustive or by random sampling, in which case the sampling errors are laid down. The Member States also report annually on the mean yields per hectare of grape must or wine categorised according to grape variety, yield class, geographical unit and whether the wines are quality wines or otherwise. The timetable for submission of results is laid down.

EUROSTAT prepares balance sheets for fresh fruit, including nuts. The concept ‘fruit’ refers to the yield of plants after flowering; the balance sheet includes only humanly edible and normally sweet fruit, but a definitive list of fruit is given including the botanical names. Noteworthy exceptions are melons, olives, wine grapes, apples for cider and pears for perry.

The recommendations of the ECE/FAO Study Group include nuts as well as fruit and berries.

FRUIT CROPS consist of fruits and berries that, with few exceptions, are characterised by their sweet taste. Nearly all are permanent crops, mainly from trees, bushes and shrubs, as well as vines and palms. Fruits and berries grow on branches, stalks or the trunks of plants, usually singly, but sometimes grouped in bunches or clusters (e.g. bananas and grapes). Commercial crops are cultivated in plantations, but significant quantities of fruits are also collected from scattered plants that may or may not be cultivated. Although melons and watermelons are generally considered to be fruits, FAO groups them with vegetables because they are temporary crops.

Fruit crops are highly perishable. Their shelf life may be extended through the application of chemical substances that inhibit the growth of micro-organisms and through careful control of the surrounding temperature, pressure and humidity once the fruit has been picked. Fruits and berries have a very high water content accounting for some 70-90 percent of their weight. They contain, in various degrees, minerals, vitamins and organic acids, some of which reside in the peel or skin. Some fruits have a high fibre content and other inedible components, so that wastage is high, e.g. 60 percent for passion fruit and 35-45 percent for pineapples. The waste in temperate zone fruit is lower, generally of the order of 10-15 percent, while berries contain very little waste.

The carbohydrate content of fruits varies widely. Protein content is very low, averaging less than 1 percent, or below that in vegetables. Fat content in fruit is negligible, with the notable exception of avocados.

Fruit crops are consumed directly as food and are processed into dried fruit, fruit juice, canned fruit, frozen fruit, jam, alcoholic beverages, etc. Fruit crops are not normally grown for animal feed, although significant quantities of diseased and substandard fruits, as well as certain by-products of the fruit processing industry, are fed to animals.

Production data for fruit crops should relate to fruits actually harvested. Data on bananas and plantains should relate to the weight of single bananas or banana hands, excluding the weight of the central stalk.

FAO lists thirty-six primary fruit crops. The code and name of each is listed below along with its botanical name, or names, and a short description where necessary.

FRUIT CROPS PRODUCTS. Apart from a few main products, international trade classifications do not permit a sufficiently detailed classification of processed products according to the primary commodity used in the preparation. Fruit crops are processed for preservation and conservation, or for transformation from one substance into another, e.g. sugar into alcohol. Drying and wine making are two of the oldest methods of preservation. The manufacture of fruit syrups and juices, jams, jellies, marmalade, chutney and sauces are also traditional methods of preservation. Modern processes include canning, freezing, quick-freezing and dehydration.

Other fruit products include fruit squashes, i.e. juice with some fruit tissues included, fruit nectars containing at least 30 percent fruit solids, and some soft drinks that contain a very small amount of fruit juice. Essential oils are extracted from some fruits and fruit peels, while the peel of some fruit is also used in confectionery.

0497 LEMONS AND LIMES. Lemon (Citrus limon); sour lime (C. aurantifolia); sweet lime (C. limetta).

0507 GRAPEFRUIT AND POMELO. Citrus maxima; C. grandis; C. paradisi.

0515 APPLES. Malus pumila; M. sylvestris; M. communis; Pyrus malus.

0521 PEARS. Pyrus communis.

0523 QUINCES. Cydonia oblonga; C. vulgaris; C. japonica.

0526 APRICOTS. Prunus armeniaca.

0530 SOUR CHERRIES. Prunus cerasus; Cerasus acida.

0534 PEACHES AND NECTARINES. Prunus persica; Amygdalus persica; Persica laevis.

0536 PLUMS. Greengage, mirabelle, damson (Prunus domestica); sloe (P. spinosa).

0544 STRAWBERRIES. Fragaria spp.

0549 GOOSEBERRIES. Ribes grossularia. Trade data may sometimes include black, white or red currants.

0560 GRAPES. Vitis vinifera. Includes both table and wine grapes.

0569 FIGS. Ficus carica.

0587 PERSIMMONS. Diospyros kaki: D. virginiana.

0592 KIWI FRUIT. Actinidia chinensis.

0572 AVOCADOS. Persea americana.

0574 PINEAPPLES. Ananas comosus; A. sativus. Trade figures may include dried pineapples.

0577 DATES. Phoenix dactylifera. Includes fresh and dried fruit.

0600 PAPAYAS. Carica papaya.

CANNED FRUIT. Usable production in product weight.

Plantations of fruit trees. Member States shall carry out in 1987, and in each fifth year thereafter, in the spring, surveys on plantations of fruit trees existing on their territory for the production of dessert apples and pears, except for purely non-dessert varieties of apples and pears, peaches, apricots, oranges, lemons and small-fruited citrus. The survey on plantations of purely non-dessert varieties of apples and pears shall be optional. For these purposes the group of small-fruited citrus (mandarins, including tangerines and satsumas, clementines, wilkings and other similar citrus hybrids) shall be regarded as one species.

The survey shall apply to all undertakings having an area planted with the species of fruit trees referred to, provided that the area covers at least 1500 square metres and that the fruit produced are entirely or mainly for sale. The survey shall cover pure and mixed crops, that is to say plantations of fruit trees of several of the species referred to or of one or more of them together with other species. The survey shall also cover areas cultivated not only for fruit production but also for other kinds of agricultural production, provided that fruit trees of the appropriate species are the main crop.

The survey may either be exhaustive or based on random sampling. In carrying out the surveys, the following characteristics are to be noted in respect of the appropriate species of fruit. The surveys must be organised so that the results may be presented in various combinations of these characteristics.

Variety of fruit. For each variety of fruit, and in order of importance, enough varieties must be shown to enable a separate assessment to be made for each Member State, by variety, of at least 80 percent of the total area planted with fruit trees of the species in question and, in any case, all varieties representing 3 percent or more of the total area planted with fruit trees of the species in question.

Apples, pears Peaches, apricots Oranges, lemons and small fruited citrus

0 - 4 0 - 4 0 - 4

Age of trees 5 - 9 5 - 9 5 - 9

(in years) 10 - 14 10 - 14 10 - 14

15 - 24 15 - 19 15 - 24

25 and over 20 and over 25 - 39

40 and over

For high density apple and pear orchards, Member States may subdivide the class ‘15 - 24 years’ to form the following two classes: ‘15 - 19 years’ and ‘20 - 24 years’.

Apples, pears Peaches, apricots Oranges, lemons and small fruited citrus

Less than 400 Less than 300 Less than 250

Density of 400 - 799 300 - 399 250 - 374

plantation 800 - 1599 400 - 599 375 - 499

(trees/ha) 1600 and over 600 - 799 500 - 624

800 and over 625 - 749

750 and over

The surveys relating to peaches, apricots and citrus fruits apply mainly to the more southerly Member States, where they are generally grown.

The Commission shall study the following in consultation and standing collaboration with Member States: (a) the results supplied; (b) the technical problems raised, in particular by preparing and carrying out the surveys and notifications; (c) the significance of the findings and notifications.

Statistical surveys of areas under vines. Member States on whose territory the total area of vines cultivated in the open air is not less than 500 hectares shall carry out:

- annually from the second year after the basic surveys, intermediate surveys on the changes taking place in the areas under vines of wine grape varieties; the first intermediate survey shall be carried out in 1981 and shall relate to changes during the two wine-growing years 1979/80 and 1980/81.

The wine-growing year shall be fixed on the basis of a Regulation.

Basic surveys. The basic surveys shall cover all holdings having a cultivated area under vines normally intended for the production for sale of grapes, grape must, wine or vegetative propagation material for vines. During the basic surveys, the following particulars shall be recorded for each holding referred to above:

A. Agricultural area in use

B. Area under vines cultivated. The area under vines cultivated is to be broken down according to its normal production use into:

(a) the area under grape varieties, further broken down into:

- quality wines produced in specific region (psr);

- other wines:

(b) the area under table grape varieties;

(c) the area planted with root-stock for future grafting;

(d) the area cultivated solely for the production of vegetative propagation material for vines subdivided into:

- nurseries;

- parent vines for root-stock;

(e) the areas under grapes intended for drying.

Varieties which are classified simultaneously as wine grape varieties and table grape varieties shall be recorded according to their predominant use in the geographical units concerned.

During the basic surveys, the following particulars shall be recorded for the area under wine grape varieties:

A. Vine varieties. In the Member States concerned, a separate record shall be made for each geographical unit referred to above of those vine varieties which together constitute at least 70 percent of the total area under wine grape varieties, and, in any case, of those varieties which constitute 3 percent or more of the said area. The remaining varieties may be grouped together according to the colour of the grapes.

B. Age of the vines. The age of the vines shall be calculated from the wine-growing year in which they were planted or grafted. The age groups shall be established by EC procedures as appropriate from time to time. The current age classes (in years) are as follows:

1. < 3

2. 3-9

3. 10-19

4. 20 +

5. 20-29

6. 30 +

7. 3-5

8. 6-9

Certain age classes are optional for some Member States. Classes 7 and 8 apply only to Italy and are optional.

The Member States concerned shall submit to the Commission before 30 September of the preceding year a detailed description of the methods to be used for the basic surveys and, where appropriate, of the sampling plan.

The Member States concerned shall take suitable measures to limit and, where necessary, to estimate errors of observation for the total area under vines cultivated for each type of production use referred to above.

The basic surveys may either be exhaustive or based on random sampling. As regards the results of the basic surveys carried out by random sampling, the Member States shall take all necessary measures to ensure that the sampling error at the 68 percent confidence level shall be of the order of 1 percent at most for the survey particulars within the geographical units concerned. The samples shall include holdings of all sizes.

The Member States concerned shall notify the Commission of the results of the basic surveys as soon as possible but not later than 15 months after completion of the field work.

The results of the basic surveys shall be submitted by geographical unit in the form of a schedule of tables as determined by special EC procedures.

Intermediate surveys. The intermediate surveys shall cover the area under vines of wine grape varieties in the holdings defined above and shall relate to changes which have taken place in that area during the preceding wine-growing year; however, the first intermediate surveys following the basic surveys shall relate to the changes during the previous two wine-growing years. During the intermediate surveys the areas under vines which:

- have been grubbed or are no longer cultivated,

- have been planted or replanted,

shall be recorded for the areas normally used for the production of :

- quality wines produced in specific regions (psr),

- other wines:

The intermediate surveys may be either exhaustive or based on random sampling. As regards the results of the intermediate surveys carried out by random sampling, the Member States concerned shall take all necessary measures to ensure that the sampling error at the 68 percent confidence level shall be of the order of 3 percent at most for the whole of the cultivated area under vines normally intended for the production of wine grapes in the geographical units concerned.

The Member States concerned shall submit to the Commission before 30 June 1980 a detailed description of the methods to be used for the intermediate surveys; advance notice shall be given of any change in such methods.

The Member States concerned shall submit the results of the intermediate surveys to the Commission before 1 May following the wine-growing years concerned. They shall be broken down into the geographical units concerned in the form of a schedule of tables as determined by specified EC procedures.

Yields. The Member States concerned shall submit to the Commission for each wine-growing year the mean yield per hectare in terms of hectolitres per hectare of grape must or wine or in terms of decitonnes per hectare of grapes produced, with effect from the 1979/80 wine-growing year, from the areas under vines of wine grape varieties broken down into yield classes as described below.

The Member States concerned shall subdivide the areas under vines cultivated with wine grape varieties as recorded in the basic surveys into yield classes based on the mean yields per hectare referred to above and established by EC procedures. The current yield classes (in hectolitres/hectare of grape must or wine) are as follows:

Yield classes Quality wines psr Other wines

I < 30 < 40

II 30 - 70 40 - 70

III 70 - 110 70 - 100

IV > 110 100 - 130

V > 130

The Member States concerned shall estimate the future trends over five wine-growing years in average yields per hectare for each yield class referred to above taking into account agronomic and economic developments.

The information referred to above shall be broken down by the geographical units defined, distinguishing between the areas under vines normally intended for the production of:

- quality wines produced in specific regions,

The Member States concerned [shall likewise communicate estimates of the mean natural alcoholic strength by volume expressed as % vol. or in 0Oechsle of the fresh grapes, grapemusts or wines, produced from the 1979/80 wine-growing year onwards.]

The annual information referred to above shall be communicated before 1 April following each wine-growing year. The estimates of future trends in average yields per hectare shall be submitted for the first time, before 1 October 1981, thereafter, every five years before 1 April. The information referred to shall be forwarded to the Commission in the form of a schedule of tables as determined by specified EC procedures.

The Commission shall study in consultation and continuing collaboration with the Member States: (a) the results supplied; (b) the technical problems raised by the surveys and the collections of information to be communicated, with particular reference to the Community definitions relating to plantings/replantings and the definition relating to cessation of wine-growing; (c) the significance of the findings of the surveys and the information communicated.

A.1 General. The concept "fruit" refers to the yield of plants after flowering; the Community balance sheets include only humanly edible, and normally sweet, fruit in accordance with an international classification accepted for the 1960 world census by the FAO, the OECD and EUROSTAT.

EUROSTAT compiles a total balance sheet (market + other uses) for all fresh fruit, nuts, dried fruit and citrus fruit, a market balance sheet for dessert apples, dessert pears, fresh peaches, oranges and fresh grapes other than grapes for wine or juice manufacture, as well as a balance sheet for processed peaches.

The "fruit" balance sheets include:

They do not include:

A.2 Products. Fruit is the sweet yield of trees and shrubs, perennial woody plants (e.g. blackberries, Chinese gooseberries (kiwis)) and annual or biannual field crops (e.g. strawberries). Since the specification of a fruit often varies according to the country, market or even season, it has been decided to refer to fruits as traditionally presented for sale by producers.

A list of fruits covered by the Community's balance sheets is provided later in this document; it corresponds to the glossary of names of fruits dealt with in current crop product statistics. The headings "Other" refer to local or recently introduced species for which there are no separate production data so far:

Moreover, exotic fruits may be included in the statistics of the "fruit" balance sheets.

Dessert fruit (including kitchen gardens)

Fruit trees (excl. olives and citrus fruits)

Apples Malus pumila Mill.

comprising dessert apples

Pears Pyrus communis L.

comprising dessert pears

Peaches Prunus persica Sieb. et Zucc.

Apricots Prunus armeniaca L.

Cherries Prunus cereasus L. Prunus avium L.

Plums (incl. mirabelle plums, greengages and damsons) Prunus domestica L.

Nectarines Prunus persica Sieb. et Zucc.

Sloe Prunus L.

Loquat, Japanese medlar Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.

Other stone fruit, not otherwise specified

Walnuts Juglans regia L.

Hazelnuts Corylus avelanna L.

Almonds Amygdalus communis L.

Chestnuts Castanea sativa Mill.

Pistachio Pistacia vera L.

Other nuts, not otherwise specified

Figs Ficus carica L.

Quinces Cydonia oblonga Mill.

Bananas Musa L.

Pineapple Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.

Avocado Persea americana Mill.

Medlar Mespilus germanica L.

Dates Phoenix dactylifera L.

Other fruits of woody plants, not otherwise specified

STRAWBERRIES Fragaria L.

Currants Ribes nigrum L.; Ribes vulgare Lam.

Raspberries Rubus idaeus L.

Gooseberries Ribes grossularia L.

Blackberry Rubus fruticosus L.

Bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus L.

Chinese gooseberry Actinidia Lindl.

Pomegranate Punica granatum L.

Persimmon Diospyros kaki L.

Prickly pear Opuntia ficus indica Mill.

Elderberry Sambucus nigra.

Other soft fruit

Oranges Citrus sinensis Osbeck.

Mandarins Citrus reticulata Blanco.

Clementines

Lemons Citrus limon (L.) Burm.

Grapefruit Citrus paradisi Macf.

Bitter orange Citrus aurantium L.

Seville orange

Bergamot Citrus aurantium L. var. bergamia Riss. et Poit.

Citron Citrus medica L.

Other citrus fruit, not otherwise specified

GRAPES Vina vinifera L.

Fresh grapes (table and raisins)

Raisins (fresh weight)

Table grapes

Definition. Several cultivated permanent crops are included under this heading. Most are tree, shrub, or bush crops. These crops are used for direct consumption as food and feed, and for processing into different products: dried fruit, fruit juice, canned fruit, jam, alcohol, etc. In ECE countries, the more important crops in order of importance are apples, oranges, pears, peaches, mandarins and tangerines, and plums.

Classification. They are generally classified by genus, but in certain cases a further subdivision, by sub-genus and by species, seems to be necessary -- for example to distinguish oranges from mandarins or from grapefruit.

Gathering of fruits and nuts from wild plants, particularly berries, chestnuts, walnuts, and hazelnuts, which have some importance in certain countries, should be recorded separately from the production of cultivated crops.

Special recommendations. Particularly applicable to fruit crops is the recommendation that countries report separately area figures for commercial orchards or compact plantations and for interplanted crops, as well as the number of scattered trees, when it is not possible to include the various categories in a single total area figure in terms of pure-stand equivalent.

It is recommended that separate data on area and number of trees in new plantings should be an integral part of current statistics on fruits. It is considered desirable that countries report the density or planting space of various fruit crops in commercial orchards. It is also suggested that fruit crops be classified by variety.

It should be emphasised that fruit crops are more often grown outside agricultural holdings and commercial orchards than olives and grapes. It is therefore necessary to evaluate from time to time how much production comes from non-commercial crops.

Specific matters relating to fruits, berries, and tree-nut crops include the following:

- production of bananas should be reported in terms of weight, not in terms of numbers of bunches. This weight should include the weight of single bananas or the weight of banana hands, excluding, therefore, the weight of the central stalk of the bunches;

- production of tree-nut crops should cover only nuts mainly used as dessert or table nuts. Production should relate to the weight of nuts in the shell or in the husk.

The minimum use list recommended for important fruit crops is as follows: for direct food (dessert or cooking); for feed; for processing; waste and losses.

Figures for processing should be subdivided according to the following categories, as appropriate: for drying, for juice, for alcoholic beverages (cider, distilled alcohol, etc.), for canned fruits, for jam and marmalade. Countries also should collect and release production data for processed products, at least for those produced by the food industry, and should provide conversion factors from fresh to processed products.

Separate figures should be given as far as possible for standard and concentrated fruit juices. It is also desirable that countries distinguish between sweetened and unsweetened fruit juices and other fruit products. Countries reporting canned fruit or fruit juice in terms of number of cans should provide appropriate conversion factors to net weight in metric units (litres or kilograms).

Definition. Grapes are the edible fruit of various vines, particularly Vitis vinifera, used for human consumption as such or processed in various ways.

Classification. Total grape crops should be subdivided as follows: grapes for wine, for raisins, and for table use, as applicable, if production for any category is sizeable.

Special recommendations. Total production of grapes, and corresponding area and yield, irrespective of their final use, should be reported. Production data should refer primarily to production actually harvested, including production intended mainly for sale as well as production intended mainly for the producers' own consumption.

In principle, harvested production figures should cover production from compact plantations and from interplanted plants; from large holdings; from family gardens and similar small plots; and from scattered vines.

Countries reporting production for sale only are requested to provide estimates on total harvested production, conducting if necessary special enquiries for that purpose every five years or so. For countries for which the data on production refer to the total harvested production, these data should also have a subdivision referring to production for sale only.

The following data should be recorded and published by all countries on the actual use of grape crops: food as such; feed; processing into raisins; juice/must/wine; waste; and losses.

As for products derived from grapes, countries should collect and publish data on production of wine, juice, and raisins when such production is significant.

Perhaps the best way to estimate wine production may be to collect data on total quantities of grapes crushed at wine presses and to convert them into wine equivalent. Breakdown of wine production, by kinds of wine, differs from country to country so much that it is difficult to suggest a standard list for the collection of statistics. Most countries report separate data for: quality wine; table wine; liqueur wine; sparkling wine.