Oppy Expands Table Grape Program Domestically; James Milne and Piers Hanbury Comment
VISALIA, CA - Acreage under the beloved Ocean Spray label is growing, and it’s all thanks to Oppy’s latest expansion efforts. The marketer recently announced that it has added new acreage to its California program.
“We are well-poised to meet the increasing demand for high-quality grapes with both domestic and internationally grown fruit,” said Senior Vice President of Categories and Marketing James Milne. “As the California industry compresses, Oppy ranches continue to grow alongside consumption. We’ve prepared for this transition, bringing Piers Hanbury onto our team last year.”
Building T&G Global’s export grape category in California a decade ago, Hanbury eventually oversaw its global grape program, leading supply to and from the United States including Peru, Chile, Australia, South Africa, Asia, and Europe. A press release noted that Hanbury’s expertise and strategic approach encompassed new variety licensing deals and breeding programs.
“It is an honor to be a part of this team and leverage my expertise to build premium grape supply for North Americans—and it makes it much easier to do so in the best-in-class Ocean Spray brand alongside preferred licensed new varieties,” said Hanbury, the now Director of Category Development.
Oppy is kicking off the San Joaquin Valley season from ranches in Wasco through McFarland, Pixley, Farmersville, and Strathmore. These five regions are expected to produce 20 percent more than Oppy harvested in 2022 as more acreage comes online, the press release stated. Candy Hearts is a new addition to Oppy’s conventional and organic line-up this year, with all varieties available in clamshells and bags.
The marketer also continues to integrate agricultural technology into its crops, utilizing Bloomfield Robotics' proprietary FLASH camera to collect data, which is then processed through deep learning AI to forecast yield at the cluster level.
“We look toward a fantastic five-month season in California as we ensure stable year-round supply with our transition to Peru, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, and Mexico,” said Hanbury.
Oppy will be participating in Sun World’s 2023 Field Days, continuing its commitment to stay on the edge of innovation in the table grape category.
For more category updates like this, keep a tab open for ANUK.
