The 2017 California table grape deal has entered its final few weeks of harvesting this month, and for many in the industry, the season can’t end soon enough. The basic problem has been the weather – primarily unrelenting heat – that has taken a significant toll on fruit quality.
Ever since picking got underway in late June, temperatures in the southern San Joaquin Valley, where most of the state’s fruit is grown, typically topped 40°C – frequently exceeding 44°C. According to one meteorological website, Bakersfield experienced 64 days above 38°C between late June through early September. To add insult to injury, spin-off from a Mexican hurricane drenched much of the southern valley, further weakening fruit that was already stressed.
“There’s been a lot of fruit lost to the weather this year,” said Todd Bassett, who inspects table grapes for both domestic and international clients. “The vines were already hurting from the brutal summer heat, and then we were hit with the rain in September that has caused problems with the late-season fruit.”
“A lot of fruit got burned up in the summer heat this year,” agreed Brian Crettol of Jasmine Vineyards. “There is a lot of weak product that can’t be exported that has to be kept on the domestic market, which has dragged down FOB prices.”
The California Table Grape Commission originally forecasted California table grape production to come in at around 111m (8.6 kg) cartons. That estimate has reportedly been revised downward to 102m cartons. “I’m thinking it will end up between 95-100m cartons,” said Crettol.
The full version of this article appears in the November edition of Asiafruit, out soon. To order your copy, email to subscriptions@fruitnet.com
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