Dan GalbraithRick Eastes (left), vice president of West Coast operations for Dinuba, Calif.-based Seald Sweet International’s western division, and Pedro Salvador Gomez Valle, general director of Guasave, Mexico-based Frulegra SA de CV, check out grapes during a tour of grape operations on the first day of the Sonora Spring Summit 2012. HERMOSILLO, Mexico – Sonoran grape growers' forecast for the 2012 season, released April 27, shows projected total export volume of more than 16.3 million cartons.
The export projection is larger than that of the past three years, although not as high as some expected after touring three Hermosillo-area grape growing operations April 26.
Typically, about 80% of Sonoran product ships to the U.S. and Canada.
Plenty of perlettes should fill the supply pipeline by mid-May, with volume projections for the season reaching 2.4 million boxes. That compares to last year’s actual total of 1.9 million boxes.
Flames should also be plentiful, as 8.3 million boxes are expected this season, 1 million more than 2011 actual figures.
Sugraones also look to be up, from 3.4 million cartons to 3.8 million. Red globes and other varieties should also be up slightly, according to the forecast, with red globes up to 825,000 boxes, compared to 821,000 last year; and others up to 1 million cartons, up from 929,000 in 2011.
If recent history is any indication, however, Sonoran grape exports could reach the 17 million to 18 million box range.
Although last year’s projection of 14.8 million boxes was pretty accurate (Sonora grape officials put 2011 actual volume at 14.37 million boxes), 2009 and 2010 crop estimates ended up being much lower than actual numbers. In 2009, the estimate was for 10.8 million boxes but the actual number was 13 million; in 2012, the estimate was for 15 million cases, but it was actually 16.7 million.
High volume and high-end quality Sonoran grapes, coupled with a later-than-usual Memorial Day, should translate into loads of retail promotional opportunities, sources say.
After an estimated 150 growers, shippers, marketers and importers toured three grape operations, many said they expected an 18 million box crop.
The crop also looks to be on time, or possibly even a bit early.
Timing of this year’s Sonoran grape deal may seem early because “the last couple of years have been later than usual,” said Jim Pandol, president of Delano, Calif.-based Pandol Associates Marketing, but he expects this year’s crop to be actually normal for the deal.
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