Chuck Olsen Co. anticipates good quality and volume
Chuck Olsen Co. anticipates good quality and volume
As part of the Chuck Olsen Co. year-round program, early San Joaquin Valley grapes are expected to complement fruit coming out of Mexico and Coachella, according to company President Jeff Olsen.
“We’ve seen a cooler spring, and the fruit looks very good,” Olsen said in late May. “It’s a matter now of how we finish them off. Water is a factor, of course, but the overall quality should be very good.”
Jeff OlsenHe added, “Right now we’re seeing excellent quality from Mexico and Coachella.”
Volume out of the San Joaquin Valley will likely be between 800,000 and 900,000 boxes, and Olsen said there are a few more Princess and more Autumn King.
“We’ll also have more Scarlet Royal in reds,” he said. “It should be a very good year with decent returns. Quality is good, and we’re moving a lot more than we have in the past few years.”
The Visalia-based operation is working with seven grape growers, although Olsen said that number fluctuates year to year. Food safety, he said, continues to be top-of-mind for all produce operations, and Chuck Olsen Co. “works to stay on top of it with GlobalGAP certification and SCS audits.”
The modernization act requires “a few new things, and we have to pay extremely close attention” to protocol, Olsen said.
As far as pack options, Olsen said the pouch continues to be most preferred, and he said some retailers are asking for clear rather than graphic bags.
“We also pack a few clamshells,” he said.
