According to John Laborin, president of the Local Agricultural Producers of Table Grape Association (AALPUM), the new harvest for the 2013 season, which traditionally begins in late April and runs through December, seems to be consistent with last year’s.
Depending on weather conditions, which according to Laborin can be very variable, the members of the association export between 11 and 18 million grape boxes annually.
"At first we had frosts this year, and then good temperatures. The cold has somewhat affected flowering, so that's why we can’t give an estimate of the type of production that we have," he said.
"It will take a week or more before we know how it’ll be."
In total, about 70% of the volume produced by the producers of AALPUM is exported to the US. The rest is destined for Canada, Europe and Asia, as well as for the domestic market in Mexico. In fact, Laborin said the association is present in 30 markets worldwide.
Some of these markets include several from the Asia – Pacific region (among them India, Taiwan, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand and Australia). A region that the group is very interested in further exploring and to which it has only exported small volumes to date.
Laborin said that the association’s growing interest in Asia isn’t related to the difficulties experienced in the volatile European market.
"The situation in Europe is affecting everyone. In our case, the market for table grapes in Europe is stable, but there are other sectors that have been affected more by the situation," he said.
"We're always looking for new markets, regardless of the economic situation in any region. The more markets our products reach, the smaller our risk will be in the event of a crisis anywhere in the world," he added.
Good prospects
Headquartered in Caborca, near the coast of Sonora, Campo Pablo Borquez planted his first table grapes in 2000, after two decades devoted to the production of non-traditional products, including asparagus and honeydew melons.
However, the table grape business has grown significantly since 2005 and now the company exports most of its production to the US and Canada as well as small amounts to the UK.
Francisco Garcia explained that Campo Pablo Borquez mainly produces red grapes, especially the Flame and Red Globe varieties.
Garcia explained that, starting in late May, they expect to pack more than 600 million bags of grapes this year.
Always in search of new markets, Garcia said that an important component of the company’s vision was the service that is given to customers.
"We believe that people are looking for more than just a product, they are looking for quality and service," says Garcia
"The market is changing and customers are demanding a higher quality and service, so this is our philosophy. We offer our customers the best quality grapes and the highest quality service."