California table grape crop forecast drops production slightly

The California Table Grape Commission, Fresno, has dropped its production forecast for the season slightly.

The commission said the 2020 table grape crop is 104.9 19-pound boxes, down from the April estimate of 106.5 million boxes. The 2019 season’s final harvest was 104.99 million 19-pound boxes, according to a news release from the California Table Grape Commission.

“Estimating the crop is a detailed process that is formally undertaken three times a year and involves volume projections based on growing districts,” Kathleen Nave, president of the commission, said in the release. “The significant amount of vineyard removal in 2019 appears to have been offset by new vineyards coming into production in 2020.”

The commission said the season is in “full swing” and demand has been “strong and steady.”

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

“Quality is excellent and demand is strong in the U.S. and in export markets, and grapes are a perfect fit for consumers in these complicated times: simple, flavorful, versatile, and full of health-enhancing phytonutrients that boost immune health,” Nave said in the release.

Historically, 65% of the California table grape crop ships between Sept. 1 and the end of January, so while grapes are a summer fruit, they are also a fall and early winter fruit.

Volumes (in LB) of grapes from central California in the US market

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

The News in Charts is a collection of stories from the industry complemented by charts from Agronometrics to help better tell their story.

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