The table grape campaign has already started in Alicante, where popular seedless varieties such as the Candy Snaps, Timpson and (briefly) Sweet Celebration, among others, have already begun to be harvested.
"We are very happy with how the fruit has been growing in the fields. We have had two or three very good campaigns in a row, ignoring some occasional problems. We hope things will continue like this," says Miriam Cutillas, from Uvasdoce's Marketing and Sales Department. "We have started with our sales in the domestic market and in the second week of August we are starting strong with exports."
"We are facing a market with acceptable prices, although with much pressure, especially in the United Kingdom," she says. "In the Spanish market, the demand has been low in the months of June and July due to the presence of stone fruit, cherries and other summer fruits, although we have recently been noticing an upturn in sales, which we expect will continue rising in both the domestic and export markets."
"The growth in the consumption of seedless grapes has been massive"
Investment in new value-added seedless table grape varieties is causing grape consumption to take off in more and more markets.
"We are very satisfied with our SNFL and IFG variety programs. We are one of only three Spanish companies producing the full range of Candy flavors. There has been massive growth in the consumption of seedless grapes. Over the last three years, there has been an increase in the demand in countries where practically no seedless grapes used to be consumed. This has been especially noticeable last season, both in the Spanish and French markets. This has led us to enter Germany for the first time, where they have traditionally preferred Italian grapes. Spanish grapes are gaining ground in Central Europe, where Italy had dominated until now," says Uvasdoce's marketing manager.
"If we introduce varieties that are appealing to the eye and also tasty, consumers will repeat their purchases and consumption will continue to grow. There are still traditional grapes to be replaced, but the sector is on the right track. In fact, by only going for good off-season varieties - such as Timpson, Sweet Globe and Autumn Crisp - our imported grape campaign has been marked by a 60% growth this year in the face of increased demand. Large supermarkets in the UK have been offering good volumes of table grapes all year round for a long time, and this is now starting to happen in Spain as well. Table grapes used to be purchased together with other products from the same buyer, but now we are beginning to see buyers specializing in table grapes and who are familiar with all the varieties," says Miriam Cutillas.
According to the professional, although the increase in the consumption of seedless table grapes won't be as sharp in the coming years, flavored varieties such as the Candy range still have a lot of room for growth. "It was very challenging to introduce these premium varieties in Spain and now almost all supermarket chains want them, as consumers are starting to know them and are asking for them. There is a very promising future for table grapes in Spain."
At the same time, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find grapes with seeds. "This year it has been more difficult to find white grapes with seeds imported from countries such as South Africa, Peru and Chile, which are planting them less and less. Today's children won't know what seeded grapes are the day they have the means to buy them, because many don't even know about them. In 10 years, their production will have almost disappeared," she says.
Uvasdoce achieves biggest growth in the company's history
This season, the Alicante-based company has achieved the biggest growth in capacity and production volumes since its foundation. "This year we increased the production by 2 million kilos (+40%), thanks to the investment in new farms with innovative varieties that are now reaching their highest productive potential. We thus expect to reach 6 million kilos this season. We have also hired more staff to carry out exhaustive field management, preparing the vines and removing berries in order to obtain looser clusters and larger sizes. While last year we had about 50 workers in the field between April and June, this year we have had about 160," says Miriam Cutillas.
The fact is that labor plays a fundamental role in the table grape sector. It is one of the biggest handicaps, given the increasing scarcity and the costs involved. "As in the case of wine grapes, it is very difficult to replace laborers with machines. We have had several years with great difficulties to find enough workers, but since the pandemic started we have been getting more applicants. It should be noted that we have made important changes in human resources, raising salaries and developing more flexible schedules to facilitate family life, even creating special shifts for mothers. Also, with the growth in imports, we can offer work almost all year round. All of this is attracting more people and bringing back interest in working in agriculture. Many may see this as a big expense, but we believe it is a necessary investment," she says.
The company has also made changes to the warehouse, doubling the capacity of the packing area and adding refrigeration to the grape intake and handling area to maintain temperature control at all times and improve the fruit's shelf life. Moreover, this year they will be exhibiting again at Fruit Attraction, after last year's hiatus due to the pandemic. "This year we will be at the fair in Madrid with a bigger stand than ever," says Miriam Cutillas.
More information:
Miriam Cutillas (Marketing Manager)
UVASDOCE
Ctra. Monforte-Agost km. 6,9
Partida de las Norias n.ยบ 188
T: +34 965 620 125
M: +34 659670964
[email protected]
www.uvasdoce.com
