“There were not enough spaces on ships to cover export capacity. Delays in the import of materials caused problems with costs and shortages, due to the increase in freight rates," said Agrokasa's Camila Borgesa.

The figure of $1.92 billion means that imports during the first six months of each year have more than doubled over the last decade.

Uvanova's Carolina Cruz and Martin Silva said: “We consider this season to be one of the worst, given that previous bad seasons - which saw water scarcity and rain during harvest - have had lasting effects.”

“This year, unfortunately we have had half the sizing we saw last season. We’ve never come across a similar situation,” said AALPUM managing director Juan Alberto Laborin.

The logistics crisis and its consequences have continued to impact the fruit sector, and Spain is no exception. The Iberian country, which exports approximately 60 percent of its total production of table grapes, has experienced an increase in production costs which is set to impact the upcoming season.

Supplies were falling across the board in the world's three biggest regional markets, where pricing saw a mixed picture.

Mexico's Sonora Grape Growers Association (AALPUM) has estimated that there is a record crop of 25.5 million boxes, putting it well above last year’s 21.3 million and a few percentage points up on the 23.6 million exported in 2019 - the current record.

"Freight is more expensive than the product, it's killing us", Juan Laborin, General Director of the Mexican table grapes association AALPUM told the Grape Reporter.

After complementing its purchase of Peru’s Agricole Don Ricardo in 2021 with an acquisition of Chile's Subsole, Frutura CEO David Krause spoke with The Grape Reporter about this strategic move and the synergies it brings.

Chile’s table grape season harvest has not suffered from weather issues like last year, but supply chain logistics have dashed hopes of a successful recovery and delayed arrivals to key markets.