California Grapes Meet Demand with Promotable Volumes
CALIFORNIA - Retailers, get ready to promote! San Joaquin Valley grape growers are continuing to meet demand with good flavor, sugar content, and supply for the foreseeable future in spite of California’s July heatwave.
Sun World International, in particular, finished strong in Coachella with good yields and high demand for its proprietary varieties in the export market, leading to steady market pricing. For the most part, however, California’s high temperatures have had a hand in affecting harvest timing. Nevertheless, the heat has brought on more volume faster than last year.
“Weather has been a factor in accelerating the harvest and we’ve seen earlier starts in the season,” Gordon Robertson, Sun World's Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, tells AndNowUKnow. “The question is whether or not this trend will continue as we move into the fall pushing the late season crop harvest up, or will the harvest timing normalize.”
Sun World is currently experiencing an exceptionally strong SUPERIOR SEEDLESS® crop and expects supplies to be available through July into the first week of August with promotional volumes available through that time. Quality on MIDNIGHT BEAUTY® seedless black grapes has also been incredibly good and promotable volumes are available through September.
Anthony Stetson, Columbine Vineyards’ Sales Manager, tells us that the company’s fruit is coming through well without much heat damage and the company currently has good volume and movement. Columbine is currently starting its new proprietary green seedless Milano grapes and expects good yield and high demand. It is also opening a new cold storage facility within the oncoming weeks that should greatly enhance production.
Speaking with Nick Dulcich, Sunlight International’s Owner and Director of Sales, he says the company’s grapes are continuing to meet flavor and sugar standards with enough volume to meet demand. For Sunlight, Nick tells us that the company is expecting strong performance from its new proprietary green seedless grape variety, Green Emerald, as well as record shipments and good demand globally.
Overall, it appears that most San Joaquin Valley growers are overcoming California’s spate of high temperatures. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for further updates on the continuing grape season.
