California's table grape industry is recovering from last year's challenging weather, and as the season progresses, grapes are already reaching Asian markets such as Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and South Korea, providing high-quality fruit.
Exports are in full swing and shipments are expected to peak at this time of the season.
This season's production in the state is expected to reach 94.4 million 19-pound boxes, with industry sources telling Freshfruitportal.com this is a strong season with more than 20 export destinations.
Marketing campaigns
The California Table Grape Board announced that an aggressive global campaign targeting 21 markets around the world, including eight in Asia, is designed to encourage retailers to stock and shoppers to purchase California grapes through the fall and early winter.
The Commission will highlight California grapes as a healthy snack for everyday meals, holiday celebrations and gift giving. Marketing efforts will be timed to coincide with high volume promotional periods in each market.
Campaign elements include in-store and digital promotions, shopper-facing app promotions, social media advertising and influencer outreach.
“Each market is a unique opportunity to promote California grapes in a way that is culturally relevant and drives demand,” said Kathleen Nave, chair of the California Table Grape Commission, which is funding the campaign.
“We expect significant shipments around the world in the coming months,” Nave said, adding that the latest data available showed that in seven of the eight target markets in Asia, the 2024 harvest was already ahead of 2023.
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