Rains in California this summer affected the table grape crop, and some growers have held back on exports so as to not run the risk of quality issues. More prominent, however, have been economic factors that have caused shippers to scale back exports this season.“There were some quality issues with grape varieties that were ripe when rains hit in June,” said Rob Spinelli of Anthony Vineyards. “It's still unknown if the rains will cause defects on fall varieties, but some companies have decided not to export as much due to that.” But the weather is just one of the reasons why he believes growers have been cautious with the amount of fruit they're sending overseas this year.
“There are a lot of factors that affect exports,” said Spinelli. “There's the strong dollar, the economy in world markets and the decline in currency value in other countries are all big factors.” On the production side, this year's crop is on track to meet the 113 million-box estimate from earlier in the season. The market is steady, but prices could rise in the fall if there's an early end to the season.
“We're harvesting some varieties quicker than in years past, and if we have storms in October or November, then we'll want to get everything picked before then,” said Spinelli. “I think there will be steady pricing in September, but we might see some spikes in prices on some varieties in October.”
For more information:
Rob Spinelli
Anthony Vineyards
+1 661 858 8300