Higher Quality, Higher Expectations for U.S. Table Grape Growers

Enhanced quality among table grapes means grape growers have a bunch of potential to be profitable this year. New proprietary cultivars that offer higher yields, improved quality and positive price trends at higher-end retail chains mean California’s table grape growers have a silver lining amidst heightened challenges.

High consumer expectations colliding with supply-side challenges growers are facing including water, labor and logistics. U.S. consumers tend to want high-quality grapes all months of the year, which, with ongoing supply-chain challenges, makes a tall order for growers.

The U.S. grape industry expects a 95-million box crop for the year, down from 110 million California produced during the last decade, however experts remind that this reduction is strategically driven. In terms of exports, overally volume has declined 36% between 2012 and 2021, though Mexico and Canada’s exports remaining “firm” for a combined total of 60% of all U.S. grape exports.

Read more on the U.S. table grape industry here.