REEDLEY, CA - When I asked George Matoian, Grape Salesman at Mountain View Fruit Sales, about what makes the California table grape industry so special, his answer was clear: its workforce and labor standards are top-notch.

“California has the strictest field labor laws in the world,” he began telling me. “They are in place for both the grower and workers' mutual benefit. Other producing countries do not have as many policies in place for protecting the worker, and even if they say they do, it is not always fully enforced. To make sure growers are within the guidelines of the current worker requirements, it is an added cost, and we are unable to pass this additional cost on to the consumer.”

In fact, George told me that California has the most expensive labor force in the world. According to him, more than 65 percent of the cost to grow and pack a box of table grapes in California is allocated toward labor.

“Currently we pay over $21/hour (this includes taxes/ins/unemployment/etc.) for our labor force, while other countries pay $21 for a full day (8–12 hours). We are at a huge disadvantage!” George told me.

From a consumer’s perspective, many folks would be compelled to learn that California’s emphasis on food safety is second to none, from the growing fields to the cold storage shipping locations. Plus, many of the table grape growers in California come from a third- or fourth-generation family. Knowing where their food comes from is a huge contributor to the consumer’s peace of mind.

The California table grape industry is certainly in a category of its own. For more insights, keep coming back to ANUK.