Mexico is anticipating a solid table grape crop this season, with sendings expected to reach average levels, following a 15 per cent shortfall last year.
However, despite apparent ideal pre-season growing conditions, initial reports indicate that the season may get off to a slow start around 10 May.
“With the number of chilling hours that the Hermosillo area received, I thought some of the early vineyards would be loaded – but they are not,” John Pandol of Pandol Brothers told Fruitnet.com.
“At first, I was expecting between 16m and 17m (8.2 kg) cartons, but now it looks like the deal will come in at around 15m cartons.”
The revised forecast for 2010 is typical of growing grapes in the desert, according to Juan Alberto Laborín, director of the Sonora Spring Table Grape Producers’ Association (AALPUM).
“During the pre-season there is almost always some sort of weather issue because temperatures in the desert can fluctuate from quite cold to very hot in a short space of time,” Mr Laborín explained to Fruitnet.com.
In 2009 Mexican grape production fell by nearly 15 per cent to 13.3m cartons, compared with the year before.
