Grapeco looking to retail promotions to kick California table grape demand into gear
Grapeco looking to retail promotions to kick California table grape demand into gear
A cool July in California’s San Joaquin Valley vineyards has brought grapes to maturity at an even pace, and varieties have been picking a week to two weeks early this season.
“The quality of the fruit is phenomenal this year, and the size of the fruit is very good as well,” said Jared Lane, co-owner of Grapeco Farms. “… It depends on the grower, the ranch, but overall, we are seeing a pick-up in yields.”
Movement, however, has lagged. Lane said several factors are contributing to the drop in demand, including Mexico having a longer overlap with its late season and California’s early season, and plenty of summer fruit available in July and into August.
In the first week of August, Lane said there’s concern about the grape market, but he believes movement is poised to pick up.
“It’s just a matter of how fast, and when,” said Lane, noting that season-to-date shipping numbers for California grapes were down 18-20 percent in early August.
But there’s plenty of season left, with two-thirds of the crop typically harvested after Labor Day, and the cool weather increasing the likelihood of harvest lasting into December and shipments continuing past Christmas.
As a company that imports into the United States, and exports California grapes, Grapeco is aware that tariffs can be a two-way street. For example, countries with high tariffs on products they ship to the United States, such as Brazil, are likely to add retaliatory tariffs on products shipped from the United States, effectively chilling both trade and competition.
“We’re looking forward to start getting some promotions in place and start moving products,” he said. “Retailers are kind of free to do what they want, but normally it starts to pick up when cherries and other summer fruit are going to be done.”
This is Grapeco’s first season of growing and marketing Bebop grapes, a seedless variety with large, oval berries and a deep pink-red skin, a crisp and firm texture and fruity flavor with a hint of sweetness. Bebop is a mid-season variety.
As for labor, Lane crews are available to work and that hasn’t been a concern during harvest this season.
California’s peak table grape shipments typically last August through October.
