Mexican table grape export volumes were “a little lower than last year”, Sonora Table Grape Producers Association Director Sergio Lugo told FreshFruitPortal.com. The executive cited climatic factors and marketing challenges as the cause for the drop. Lugo explained that the sector closed the 2023-24 season with 22.7 million boxes exported and around 5 million sold domestically.
From a climatic perspective, Lugo noted the industry faced high temperatures and water shortages in Sonora, which impacted production.
"We are experiencing a water crisis throughout the country, causing production to be less than ideal,” he pointed out.
Regarding fruit quality and production, Lugo said there were some issues with grape size between weeks 19 and 31, though Brix levels were not significantly affected. At the industry’s peak, between weeks 21 and 26, they had sufficient grapes that met the market’s demands for quality, size, and Brix levels.
When asked about standout varieties, Lugo acknowledged that the industry is working to transition to new varieties, though not at the same pace as Chile and Peru. This season, 55% of production came from new varieties, with an increase in Mid Greens and a decrease in Flame.
Looking at the overall campaign, Lugo said they had low volumes in the early weeks (19-21). "In April and May, we did not have the production of previous years, due to climate change." Whereas they typically had half a million boxes by May 15, that has decreased considerably in the last year.
Lugo emphasized that varietal change is a major challenge for the industry. Increasing new variety plantings to 70-80% over the next two years is a key goal. The main new varieties being planted are Mid Greens and Mid Reds, which have been successful.
The main current varieties are Flame, Early Sweet, Sugar One, Sweet Globe, Sugar Drop, Sweet Celebration, and some Prime. Lugo said they aim for an annual varietal turnover of 10-15%, with a maximum of 20%.
In terms of export markets, the U.S. accounts for about 75%, followed by Canada. The Mexican grape industry is also working to open protocols with Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines, and may export 500,000 boxes to South Korea next season.
Overall, Lugo said the sector faces many challenges, particularly the country's water crisis, which is impacting agricultural production. However, he believes that improving yields and quality through new varieties is crucial to addressing both production and commercial issues.
