Market Update for Table Grapes

Week of December 1 – December 7

Spot market table grape pricing for the month of December will stay strong as exports from Peru continue to trail behind previous seasons. Multiple variables are impacting the market. Weather and the economic hit from tariffs are on the top of the list. California quality is still a big question mark, so more retailers are transitioning to imports. The U.S. market needs to see more than three million weekly boxes from South America to feed the full industry demand and send spot market pricing lower. With less than two million boxes exported in week 47 we can expect the market to stay strong all the way through Christmas. Chile will start exporting week 48 and Ica, Peru should start packing better numbers over the next two weeks. Promotable volumes should hit the U.S. market by the first week in January, but that still leaves the industry relatively short for the next 4 weeks.

Red Seedless

Some California growers thought they could get through the middle of December shipping storage Allison and other red seedless varieties, but it looks as if time is running out. Quality is declining and growers with good fruit have it all programmed. Demand for imports has been tempered, as retailers did their best to stay with more reasonably priced CA fruit. We should see that trend change this coming week, as more retailers make the full transition to imported grapes. Quality on Peruvian Flames, Timco, Allison and Jack Salute have been very good, so that will certainly help sell more fruit. Spot market pricing has been more in line with programs, ranging from $32.00 to $34.00 FOB, but we could see prices tick higher this week, as demand picks up imported fruit. Volumes of red grape exports were well below 1 million boxes in week 47, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to see the spot market range from $36.00 to $38.00 for premium varieties throughout the balance of December.

Green Seedless

Demand for imported green seedless is very good, as California supplies of quality green grapes are left in the hands of only a select few shippers. There is no availability of California fruit for the spot market, so that puts all the pressure on imports. The spot market for the very best Peruvian Sweet Globes and Ivory topped $40.00 last week, but importers will have to use most of their volumes to manage programs at significantly lower prices. Volumes from Ica are still delayed, as growers wait for maturity, so we can expect the green seedless market to stay at these current levels for the next four weeks. Autumn Crisp continue to outperform all other green seedless varieties, with spot FOBs touching $50.00 in wholesale markets. We could finally see promotable volumes of green seedless in January, but for now retailers will have to look elsewhere.