Mexican grapes finishing lighter than expected

Mexican grape supplies are winding down their season, and volumes are projected to finish lower than earlier estimates.

Sergio Lugo, general director of Mexico’s Sonora table grape growers association (AALPUM), said about 20.5 million cartons will have been shipped by the end of this week, and the total should be about 22 million cartons, which would be lower than the April estimate and a typical year.

John Pandol, director at Pandol Bros. Inc., BB #:111977 based in Delano, CA, said this week should be the last big week for growers to ship volume, and he, along with other growers, think the total volume will be lower than 22 million.

“There’s a myth or misunderstanding associated with the ends of harvests,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a slow winddown, but more often it’s a sprint to the wall. The ‘Oh, we’re almost done’ can mean a last big burst of volume.”

Pandol said the grape inventory in Nogales, AZ, is much lower than last year, estimated at 3-4 million cartons, compared to 6 million cartons at the same time in 2023.

He said, for Pandol Bros’ case, peak inventory this year was June 22 versus July 7, 2023.  

“At this snapshot in time, the Sonoran crop is 90 percent picked and 75 shipped,” he said. “There’s about 2 or 3 weeks supply.”

Pandol said the volumes from Sonora, Mexico, and Coachella, CA, are winding down in a manner that will lead to an orderly transition to supplies from the San Joaquin Valley, CA.

He said he’s heard some companies could start shipping from the San Joaquin Valley as early as late this week, but most will start after July 8.

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