Posts Tagged “California grape shipments”
Good, consistent shipments of California table grapes are predicted well into December, although there are some concerns quality issues may arise.
While Pandol Bros. Inc. of Delano, CA doesn’t see any big gaps in supply for the rest of the California grape season, there is some angst regarding labor shortages at both the grower and retail level, which could have some negative consequences on movement.
At the farm level, farmers with too much of one variety maturing at the same time could be hard-pressed to pick the fruit in top condition if they don’t have sufficient labor.
From the retail end, Pandol reports some retail stores have a shortage of labor at the produce department level. If retailers don’t rotate grapes in the right way, then repeat purchases could suffer.
A retail clerk may stock the grape display in the morning, but if that display isn’t stocked again before the rush house, impulse purchases may be at risk.
Still, Pandol sees the outlook for strong California grape shipments with only slight variations from projected volume likely.
Columbine Vineyards, Delano, CA reports California grapes got off to a great early season start, but in mid season there were too many green grapes based on an accelerated harvest due to weather, and at the same time there were not enough reds.
Looking ahead, Columbine Vineyards sees good volume with the red seedless varieties, and continued good volume with green grapes.
While the crop has good volume, the company is concerned about export logistics, materials cost, labor costs and water scarcity.
Exports may be down this year because of troublesome logistics at ports.
About 30% of California grapes typically go to export markets, and strong demand for air and vessel capacity has made exports more difficult.
Pandol Bros. of Delano, CA reports the central California table grape harvest has been underway since early July, with three to five percent production harvested and one percent shipped.
While there has been a gradual reduction of area planted due to changes in water regulation, production is staying stable with higher yields from the acres planted.
Production is seeing a “normal harvest flow” with the halfway mark expected sometime in September and the end either in November or December, depending on the first freeze.
Shipping will reach halfway in late September and two to four percent of the crop will be shipped in 2022.
The cost of both ocean freight rates and inland truck freight rates are reported much higher than in the past.
Trucking is seeing a lack of drivers and there is a two to four-month wait for a trained, drug-tested driver to get an appointment for a licensing test.
REEDLEY, CA — Fruit World, a family-owned, grower-shipper of organic and conventional fruit and the largest California grower of organic Thomcord grapes, started shipping this popular variety at the end of July, with good volumes available from mid-August through early-October. Thomcord seedless grapes are a hybrid of Concord and Thompson Seedless grapes, with the rich, full Concord flavor and the tender skin and seedless qualities of the Thompson.
Seven years since planting, Fruit World’s Thomcord vines are now fully mature and heavy with luscious purple clusters. “The recent warm weather in California’s Central Valley is rapidly increasing the color and brix, so we’ll begin harvesting 7-10 days earlier than last year,” said CJ Buxman, co-founder of Fruit World.
Fruit World Thomcord grapes are shipped in 10 x 2 lb recyclable and compostable paper totes, with bright, colorful graphics. The company will also be shipping 20 x 1 lb clamshells.
In 2020, Fruit World shipped their organic Thomcord grapes across the United States, in addition to air freighting to customers in Asia. “While we anticipate this year’s crop to be heavier than in 2020, last year we sold out in mid-September,” Brianca Kaprielian, co-founder of Fruit World added. “We encourage retailers to contact us early to confirm their orders and meet the high consumer demand for this popular variety.”
In 2020, Fruit World shipped their organic Thomcord grapes across the United States, in addition to air freighting to customers in Asia. “While we anticipate this year’s crop to be heavier than in 2020, last year we sold out in mid-September,” Kaprielian added.
About Fruit World:
Fruit World is a fresh produce company with generations of history. Fruit World grows and ships the most flavorful fruit in California—including organic and conventional citrus, organic grapes, organic stone fruit, and more.
There are more U.S. table grapes remaining in storage to be shipped than last year, following an increase in volumes of Autumn King and Allison over the last few weeks.
There were 13.7 million boxes in storage as of October 31, according to the USDA’s latest Western Fruit Report Grape Cold Storage Summary. That figure represents a sharp increase from the 11.1 million boxes registered in mid October and a slight rise above the 13.2 million from this time last year.
The increase in the second half of October this year was in part due to the Autumn King variety, whose volumes rose from 2.3 million boxes to 4.7 million.
At the end of October 2019 there were 3.6 million boxes of Autumn King. In addition, volumes of the Allison variety have increased substantially, growing over the second half of October from 582,000 boxes to 2.2 million.
The new figure remains below the 2.5 million recorded at this time last year. As of the end of October in the bumper 2018 season, there were a total of 18.1 million boxes in storage.
Fewer table grapes remain in storage in California than at the same time during the previous two seasons, according to a USDA report.
There were 9.3 million boxes in storage as of Sepember 30, according to the Western Fruit Report Grape Cold Storage Summary. This compares with 10.4 million boxes on the same date last year, and 12.9 million boxes in 2018.
The Scarlet Royal variety had the highest number of grapes in storage with 2.2 million boxes – 50 percent of the 2018 figure and 1 million below 2019. The next biggest variety was Autumn King. But unlike Scarlet Royal, the storage numbers of this variety on September 30 have been showing an upward trend over the last three years, with 1.7 million boxes this year compared with 1 million in 2018.
The next two largest varietal categories – ‘other white’ and ‘other red’ – have both seen downward trends over the last three years, now registering 1.5 and 1.4 million boxes respectively. Alison and Red Globe have also been declining, while Sweet Globe has been rising.
California table grapes are in full swing for 2020 with fruit shipping a little faster than previous seasons and following slightly lower volumes in the Coachella Valley.
Grape shippers are looking at what it considers a new normal volume for 2020. The two major grape-producing regions of the state, the Coachella and San Joaquin Valleys ship 99 percent of the nation’s commercially grown table grapes.
The transition between the Coachella and San Joaquin Valleys was smooth with the demand likely a reflection of shorter volumes from the Coachella Valley and Mexico and excellent San Joaquin Valley fruit quality.
The California Table Grape Commission estimates 104.9 million 19-pound boxes will be shipped this year. This means the 2020 estimate is the same volume as was harvested in 2019.
This season there will be a few new table grape varieties, even if their availability doesn’t impact volume all that much over all. The top 15 varieties harvested in 2019 represented 75 percent of the shipments.
Grapes and stone fruit – grossing about $5400 to Chicago.
California grape shipments have been underway for about three weeks out of the desert area of the Coachella Valley, but that is minor compared to what lies ahead. As the desert volume winds down in early July, the Arvin district gets underway near Bakersfield, followed by the primary loadings in the central San Joaquin Valley.
The 2020 forecast is for 106.5 million boxes, which is up on 2019’s 104.8m boxes, but below the three-year average of 109.5 million boxes.
Availability from the main growing region in California, the Central Valley, will crank up in mid-July.
Meanwhile, the grape season in Mexico will soon be winding down, with overall shipments to be off about 20 percent from last year with estimates for 2020 at 19.7 million boxes.
There was an overlap of shipments from Mexico and the early district in Coachella.
California grape shipments in the fall of 2018 were up 11.2 percent from September through December compared to the previous year. A similar pattern is expected again as we close out this year.
Sunview Marketing International of Delano, CA credits a lot of this good volume to the firm’s mix of proprietary varieties.
Sun Pacific of Pasadena, CA notes their company has 19 varieties of grapes for shipping as they enter the fall. The operation has growing volume with organic grapes.
The official estimate for California grape shipments was adjusted downward from 116 million boxes to 110 million boxes. However, some observers believe the final packout could be even lower.
Top Brass Marketing of Bakersfield, CA cites excellent volume this season and does not believe loadings have been lagging as they were last year. The company sees the seasonal decline in shipments of cherries, stone fruit and melons as helping grapes take center stage from September through November.
San Joaquin Valley grapes – grossing about $6300 to New York City.
Shipments of California grape shipments are off about 8 percent from last season, but average per-pound prices for the major varieties are the same.
The USDA reports California had shipped 462.25 million pounds of grapes through August 24, compared to 503.41 million pounds at the same time a year ago. With the arrival of fall shipments, it is unlikely this year’s volumes will approach those of last season during the fall.
The California Table Grape Commission of Fresno reports California grape shippers set a record for most shipments from September 8 through October 12, 2018, moving more than 23 million boxes during the five-week period.
San Joaquin Valley vegetables, melons and grapes – grossing about $6700 to New York City.
It’s been a slow start for grape shipments this season, whether from Mexico, the Coachella Valley, or in the interest of today’s report, the Bakersfield, CA area.
However, in the Bakersfield (sometimes referred to as the Arvin District) area the heat has kicked in and expected to continue for a while with mid 90s temperatures this week, before moving into triple digits.
Depending on the shipper, table grape shipments are starting any day now, or some may not get going until the second week of July.
As of the end of April, This year’s California grape shipments were estimated at 116.2 million 19-pound boxes. Last year’s total was 115.5 million boxes. The next estimate will be released in late July.
Crown Jewel Produce Co. LLC of Fresno, CA typically starts shipping the last week of June, but is nearly 2 weeks late this year from its Bakersfield vineyards.
Anthony Vineyards of Bakersfield starts its domestic shipments every year out of Coachella, which had one of the coldest Februarys and Marches on record, pushing the desert crop back. Coachella typically finishes in early July, but this year is still shipping, although with 110 degree days now are common, and will be wrapping up soon.
Last year Anthony Vineyards got underway in Bakersfield June 23rd, but this year will be 10 days to 2 weeks later. In fact, for a short time grape loadings will be occurring both out of Coachella and Bakersfield.
Fruit Royale Inc. of Delano, CA will start grape shipments soon after the 4th of July with flames, sugraones and summer royals.
King Fresh Produce LLC of Dinuba, CA, is expecting heavy shipments of California grapes the rest of the season, which usually extends into December.
“It’s not going to be conducive to a high-priced market,” Wilson said.
“That gives some of the earlier districts a little time to clean up,” he said.