100 million-plus cartons: ‘new normal’ for California table grapes
California table grape production is seeing a “new normal” of 100 million-plus box crops, according to the California Table Grape Commission.
California grape growers produced 109.1 million boxes during the 2017 season. The grapes are available from May through January, according to a news release from the commission.
“After breaking the 100-million box mark only six years ago, a 109-million box crop has become the new normal for California Table Grape growers,” commission President Kathleen Nave said in a news release.
In 2016, the industry shipped 110 million boxed of table grapes, according to a news release, with a value of $1.85 billion.
The commission is preparing for a global promotion campaign, with harvest just a few weeks away, according to the release.
“The commission campaign focuses on motivating the trade to promote, and consumers to buy, more California grapes more often,” Nave said in the release.
Almost 65% of the California table grape crop was consumed in the U.S., according to the commission. Export markets, in order of volume shipped, are:
- Canada
- Mexico
- Mainland China
- Philippines
- Taiwan
- Japan
The value of the 2017 crop, according to the release, was $1.81 billion.
