US California grapes white on vine

Setting a new record for crop value at US$1.76bn, California’s table grape growers have announced that they have harvested their second-largest crop ever, sending 110m, 19lb boxes of grapes to consumers worldwide.

Export volume and value were also the second highest in history, with 44.5m 19lb boxes shipped at a value of US$857m.

The top volume export markets included Canada at 11.4m boxes, followed by Mexico at 5.7m boxes and China/Hong Kong at 5.5m boxes. Just over 40 per cent of the total crop volume was exported.

“Overall, 2014 was a good year for most growers,” said Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission. “The industry was able to successfully harvest and ship a large crop at good prices over a very long season.”

According to Nave, the 2015 season is expected to mirror 2014 in timing, beginning late April and running through January. With the season only a month away, the commission is gearing up its global campaign.

“The commission campaign focuses on motivating the trade to promote, and consumers to buy, more grapes from California more often,” said Nave.