The USDA estimates that the acreage of table grape plantings in 2011 was less than the acreage planted the year before. The total acreage for the state, however, still increased in comparison to 2010.The California Grape Acreage Report estimated planted table grape acreage at 2,387 in 2011. Planted acreage in 2010 was almost double that at 4,562.
But Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission, notes that 2010’s numbers might make 2011’s numbers seem unduly small. Planted acreage for 2009, at 2,470, was similar to the estimated planted acreage in 2011.
“A lot of it is cyclical,” she adds. “Over time, the acreage is very stable.”
Total table grape acreage for the state has risen steadily over the past three years with 93,000 acres in 2009, 94,000 acres in 2010 and an estimated 96,000 acres in 2011.