Mexican Table Grape Exports to the US on the Rise

The Mexican table grape sector saw a 35% year-on-year increase in export volume to the United States during the first week of June. Over 5 million boxes have crossed the border, up from 3.9 million boxes in the same timeframe in 2023. Despite the strong entry of grapes into the US market, the season has started with mixed quality.

Early in the season, Flame Seedless is the dominant variety from Mexico, with significant volumes being shipped. However, the fruit is small, leading to a shortage of premium-quality grapes in the market. 

The primary reason for the smaller fruit size is a large harvest that has not been adequately thinned. Thinning allows fruit to grow larger and reduces the workload on the vines. "Mexican growers are struggling to find labor to perform the extra work in the vineyards," said Ira Greenstein, Representative, Direct Source Marketing, a direct importer and forward logistics distributor of fresh table grapes. This labor shortage is expected to reduce Mexico's initial production estimate from 24 million boxes to 20 million.

Other early Mexican varieties include the green seedless grapes Early Sweet and Honey Pop. Early Sweet has good quality, while Honey Pop has better sugar levels but is smaller in size. "There is a real disparity in products coming from Mexico," Greenstein noted.

The combination of lower quality and substantial volume has resulted in competitive pricing and significant promotional opportunities. However, the smaller fruit size poses a challenge for retailers, who have become accustomed to large grapes from Peru and California in recent years. Although some Mexican growers have switched to proprietary varieties like Sweet Celebration, Sweet Globe, and AutumnCrisp, premium Mexican fruit is still about a week away from significant volumes. "The best varieties have not yet started with significant volume," Greenstein explained.