Grupo Alta announced April 12 that Divine Flavor and Sun World International executed an enhanced collaboration agreement for premium table grapes.

The California Table Grape Commission is positioned to expand international demand for California table grapes in 16 target markets with its 2023 export marketing campaign.

The 16 target markets for the 2023 season represented 94.4 percent of export volume June through December in 2022. Of those markets, El Salvador, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand and Vietnam increased in both volume and value in 2022 compared to 2021 despite a variety of global export challenges.

TUBAC, AZ – The Sonoran table grape crop for 2023 is projected to be 21.7 million boxes, an increase of 1.32 percent over 2022’s 21.4 million-box crop.

The estimate was presented by Marco Antonio Camou, president of the Mexican table grape importers association known as AALPUM, at the Mexico Table Grapes Spring Summit March 22, held at the Tubac Golf Resort, here.

Camou said the numbers are based on a survey sent to growers requesting information on varieties per area.

It’s the month of February and that means table grapes from Chile are harvesting and being sent to markets across the globe. At the heart of Chile’s grape production is Santa Elena, a company that is not only a grower of Divine Flavor International but also a partner of the produce brand, which harvests grapes in Chile from December to March. Overseeing a vast majority of Santa Elena’s production is grape specialist and part owner, Gonzalo Tocornal.

Grapes are one of the top fruits shoppers seek out. In fact 65 percent of customers plan to buy grapes when entering the produce department, especially if they are advertised on a promotion.

The Table Grape Committee of ASOEX (Chilean Fruit Exporters Association) anticipates exporting 555,483 tons, equivalent to 67.742 million (8.2-kilogram) boxes, for the 2022-23 season. This is a 1.2 percent increase from the previous forecast — though still down nearly 9 percent from the 2021-22 season, largely the result of varietal replacement within the table grape industry in Chile.