The average daily prices of Grapes in the U.S. have risen by 35.73% marking a $0.98 increase on the prices recorded on August 19, from $2.75 to $3.74. The vestiges of Tropical Storm Hilary, previously classified as a Category 4 hurricane when it was raking across the Pacific before crashing ashore in Mexico, brought record-breaking rainfall to Southern California.
This deluge has led to the inundation of roadways, alongside the emergence of mudslides and rock slides. According to David Espinoza of Hronis, Inc, located in Delano, California, the unprecedented climate phenomenon at this point of the table grape season could bring this year’s projections down from 90-95 million boxes to around 50 million for the state.
Despite the optimistic outlook of California's growers, they undertook preventative measures by cloaking vines over the weekend to forestall potential damages. “We are acting quickly, assuming the worst possible scenario which is that on Monday and Tuesday, we won't be able to harvest, so we will cover as much of the grapes as possible and harvest as many as we can with the hands we have,” adds Espinoza.
Presently, the state yields between 600,000 to 700,000 table grape boxes weekly, rendering a two-day harvest hiatus liable to result in a non-shipped volume exceeding 1.2 million boxes.
Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
