California navel orange shipments will be down this season, but just how much is not yet known. Additionally, Pacific Trellis announces plans to import Brazilian grapes.
The first California navels were only shipped within the past week or so, with pretty good volume occurring by early November.
Still, decent shipments are expected with the early forecast of 70 million cartons for the 2017-18 shipping season, of which 68 million will come out of the Central San Joaquin Valley.
The total volume has conventional, organic and specialty navel oranges, including pigmented varieties, such as cara cara and blood oranges.
Among the reason many observers give for fewer navel orange shipments relates to a survey of growers indicating a fruit set per tree of 273, below the five-year average of 348. The average September 1st diameter size was 2.34 inches, above the five-year average of 2.24 inches.
The lighter fruit set also is on fewer acres due to drought and storms last spring.
Acreage is 115,000 this year, down from 120,000 bearing acres a year ago and 135,000 from 2006-09.
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Pacific Trellis to Import Grapes
By Pacific Trellis Fruit
Pacific Trellis Fruit, Los Angeles, CA has announced a partnership with Labrunier, the largest table grape producer in Brazil. With over 900 hectares (2223 acres) in production Labrunier, located in the state of Bahia, has one of the world’s largest areas for growing and testing new table grape varieties selected for flavor, crop yield and adversity to disease. Labrunier’s entire production is internationally certified by Rainforest Alliance.
With the first arrivals of green seedless varieties available at the end of October, these premium quality grapes will be in good supply for the holiday shipping season.
New varieties include Francis, Sweet Mayabelle, Candy Snaps, Timco, Sweet Celebration, Sugar Crisp and Sweet Globe. The program from Brazil provides North American retailers the opportunity to continue the offerings of new variety grapes to consumers as the California crop winds down.
Fazendas Labrunier and Pacific Trellis Fruit have teamed up to provide the premium and new grape varieties with strong early season import volume,” explains Aryan Schut, Commercial Manager.