Giumarra Companies' Fernando Soberanes Details Chilean Table Grape Insights
LOS ANGELES, CA - Whether temperatures are chilly or hot, consumers can’t get enough table grapes. Luckily for retailers, Giumarra Companies stays prepared with its import program, which is currently shipping Peruvian and Chilean grapes to the United States.
“We have been shipping mostly Peruvian grapes to the West Coast of the U.S., but now our Chilean production is ramping up, and we expect to see steady supplies from the country through April when we will transition to Mexico,” explains Fernando Soberanes, Grape Division Manager.
This season, Giumarra announced that it is working with a Fair Trade Certified™ green seedless grape grower from Chile. This will benefit its retail customers with social responsibility initiatives interested in sourcing more Fair Trade Certified items in the produce department.
Additionally, the Chilean table grape industry continues to expand its volume of new varieties, enabling Giumarra to offer complete programs of exclusive, newly launched offerings.
“New grape varieties provide the market with bigger berry size, excellent shelf-life, better flavor profiles, and eating experience. All of which are key factors to keep grape consumption active and continuous with consumers,” says Fernando. “Traditional varieties have limited commercial options stateside; therefore, we do not expect large volumes of them coming to the U.S. We strongly encourage retailers to promote Chilean grapes in March and April to keep movement steady.”
Examples of new varieties include ARRA Sweeties™ (ARRA 15), Ivory™ (Sheegene 21), and Sweet Globe™ (IFG Ten) for green seedless, and Jack's Salute™ (IFG Nine), Timco™ (Sheegene 13), Sweet Celebration™ (IFG 68-175), and Allison™ (Sheegene 20) for red seedless.
Giumarra’s growing partners are starting production in the San Felipe/Aconcagua Valley, where a large portion of Chile’s grape production is focused. Historically, the U.S. market demand for Chilean grapes picks up in February and March, so the company’s growers are eager to start picking, packing, and shipping fruit.
As of now, volumes have been steady, and the quality of shipments Giumarra has received has been excellent. The supplier expects continuous good quality throughout the season.
“The U.S. grocery marketplace is competitive, and quality must be high to ensure continued demand for the grape category,” adds Fernando. “Our growers are packing the fruit shipped accordingly to keep shoppers happy with great-tasting grapes.”
What will the rest of the Chilean season hold for Giumarra? Keep reading AndNowUKnow for more updates.
