Grupo JD, the largest producer of table grapes in Brazil, predicts this season's white seedless variety production will be substantially lower due to the cloudy weather, which hampers fertility. However, their fourteen new cultivars will be bigger and better than last year.
Daniel Watanabe, commercial director of Grupo JD, said he expected this season would be difficult, as, in all likelihood, the volume of white seedless grapes would drop by 20-30% below average.
"This will be a difficult season for us because, currently, the white seedless grapes represent our biggest export opportunities, " Watanabe said, adding that the cloudy weather in the first half of the year had an impact on fertility, especially in the Sugraone and Thompson white seedless grapes.
"When the weather is cloudy there is less daylight, so there is a direct impact on the grapes' fertility."
Despite the disappointing volume estimations, Watanabe said he was satisfied with the quality and size of the fruit, as it was getting more nutrients than normal and also because the dry climate of recent years had come to an end.
"2012 and 2013 were very dry years in the northeast of Brazil, but we've had a period of normal rainfall at the end of last year and the beginning of this one," he said.
"So the plants were more stressed in those two years, but this year they are stronger and we also had a cold winter that was good for their quality."
Watanabe said for the fertility process of their red seedless varieties, such as the Crimson variety, wasn't affected by the cloudy weather.
The commercial director of Grupo JD said the harvest of some white seedless varieties should begin the first week of September and continue until mid-October, when there is an increased risk of showers, which could adversely affect the Thompson variety.
Opportunities nationwide
Grupo JD produces about 20,000 tons annually and exports about a quarter of them to markets such as U.S., Europe and the Middle East. The rest is for domestic consumption.
In recent years, the company has seen a decline in exports to the U.S., due largely to the higher volumes of late varieties produced in California.
"Our main calendar for sales in the U.S. used to be for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but producers in California have been able to stay in the market longer and supply at that time," Watanabe said.
"So our window is smaller and, in the last three years, Brazilian exports have declined greatly. Thus the U.S. became a smaller market for Brazilian exports."
Despite the lower volumes sent to the U.S., Watanabe is confident that the grapes will be easily sold in the local market, as it has had an increase in the consumption of grape.
"The Brazilian market is very good. There are nearly 300 million people here and Brazilian fruit consumption is increasing," he said.
"We have been able to sell everything here so, even with lower exports to U.S., we were able to sell it in Brazil."
400 acres of new varieties
Grupo JD has been investing heavily in the development of new grape varieties and this will be their second year with fourteen new cultivars in commercial production.
Among the new varieties are the: Sweet Globe (white seedless), Sweet Celebration (red seedless) Sweet Jubilee (black seed) and Crispy Sugar (white seedless).
"We have a block of commercial testing and are currently testing nearly one hundred different varieties of international breeders," Watanabe said.
"However, on a commercial scale, we have fourteen new varieties in production and about 400 acres devoted to them," he said.
Source: Fresh Fruit Portal