Although imported table grapes have been available in the supermarkets for sometime, Swiss-grown grapes have only been ripe since mid-September. You need a bit of luck to find Swiss grapes in the stores, as only a few dozen metric tons have been harvested, while 40,000 metric tons of grapes are imported yearly, and 75% of those grapes come from Italy.
But Swiss table grapes are increasingly popular as more and more fruit producers discover this new niche product. In the Wallis region the grape variety Chasselas has a long tradition. But innovative producers in the regions Thurgau and Central Switzerland are trying their hand at growing grapes too. And successfully! When twelve Thurgau producers formed the association "Thurta", they received a contribution from the canton and were able to harvest the first grapes last year, one year earlier than expected thanks to the warm summer in 2013. And the farmers in Thurgau are positive about this year too. The grapes are mostly sold regionally. In contrast to Wallis, in Thurgau new Hungarian grape varieties are cultivated, which have names such as Lilla, Fanny, Angela and Nero. They are more resistant to mildew than conventional varieties and they store better, so the grapes can be sold until the end of the year.
The apple harvest is in full swing too, the varieties Golden Delicious, Jonagold and Topaz are sold now. The last raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, as well as the last plums, can be found in some locations.
Dip in vegetable consumption
There was a small dip in the sales of vegetables, though not in production. The autumn holiday season left its mark. There is a wide range of lettuce and salad available: head of lettuce, iceberg lettuce, endive, lollo rosso, and lamb’s lettuce. The harvest of true endive and napa cabbage is abundant, the storage of these vegetables already started. This normally happens later in October.