Grape Supplies Abundant, Quality and Market Concerns Linger

Despite summer heatwaves and drought, there will be no shortage of table grapes as 2021 comes to a close. California grape producers anticipate a bountiful crop come December. This is a well timed reassurance, after concerns of increased grocery store pricing leading some to believe a shortage is on the horizon. The price uptick is being attributed to other factors, such as a shortage of retail labor and steady demand for seedless red and green table grapes. Despite a favorite supply, there are still concerns over storage capacity after the summer heat paved the way for quality concerns. End-of-year predictions for grape imports largely remain unchanged, though analysts agree an overabundance of grapes continues to keep California producers from more competitive prices. Read more on grape production and imports here.