Fisher Capespan chief operating officer Mark Greenberg says Chilean grapes did not size up "very well at all" earlier this season, but quality has improved recently. 

"The (U.S.) table market virtually belongs to Chile and the small caliber Flames that served to dampen retailers' interest in pushing table grapes have moved through the system making way to a generally higher quality and more attractive product," he says

"This, no doubt, has been a factor in the revived interest of retailers."

He says Chilean grape arrivals in the U.S. during week 6 were down 5% year-on-year at 145,723 metric tons (MT).

"This is even in spite of the fact that the Chilean grape industry has come to the broad consensus that the table grape harvest generally continues to run earlier than 2011 by as much as ten days.

"This leaves little doubt that when the season is done, total Chilean grape volumes to the USA could be as much as 10% below last season's arrivals."

He says Flame variety arrivals have peaked and Thompson Seedless grapes have come into heavy production, with arrivals expected to increase dramatically in week 10 and onward.

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