The total crop of licensed Spanish Superior seedless™ grapes this year will be in the region of 17,000-18,000 tonnes, up from last year.
Superior Seedless is the brand name under which the Sugarone variety is licensed to and produced by the Spanish exporter group Asociación Apirenas in the Murcia region.
The main export markets for Spain are the UK and Germany, which take an equal share of around 90 per cent of the total exports. Between 5,000 and 6,000t of Superior Seedless branded grapes will be sent to the UK market.
Sugraone is an extra-early white seedless grape with a smooth skin and crunchy texture. Bunches for the UK must be symmetrical and weigh between 230g and 600g, with at least 75 per cent of the elongated berries measuring 1.6cm in diameter. But these proportions depend on having good weather conditions when the fruit sets during April and the beginning of May.
The production of Spanish grapes is concentrated in the temperate agricultural area within the warm subtropical region in Alhama de Murcia, Totana and Ararán. The area dedicated to Sugraone grapes was 1,300 hectares in 2004, just over 20 per cent of the Murcia region’s grape production. The saline soil in the region, coupled with the hot Spanish weather, helps sugar levels to develop and makes for a good quality crop.
Foods from Spain will include Superior Seedless™ grapes in its integrated promotional campaign for fresh produce in the UK. The initiative was launched last year to co-ordinate advertising, PR and in-store activity, across several Spanish fresh products.
The initiative was particularly effective on Superior Seedless™ grapes last year, as there was a very high quality crop exported to the UK market. The variety is featuring in the campaign again this year, with on-pack offers, in-store promotional activity and advertisements in the national press.
“Superior Seedless grapes were a key part of our integrated approach launched last season, and feature once again this year,” says Sevilla. “We are supporting the crop with ‘Kids go Free’ promotions on more than two million packs in four of the major supermarkets, in-store trolley, poster and radio advertising, and advertisements in magazines such as OK, Good Housekeeping and Woman & Home, and the trade press.”
Promotional campaigns help to make Spanish grapes attractive to the consumer in a competitive global market, says Gavin Pearce, commercial manager at AMC. But he warns that only good quality fruit can survive the market. “There is always a lot of competition in the grape market in July, with exports from Egypt, Morocco and Israel,” says Pearce. “Spain is at an advantage as the country is closer to the marketplace, and it only takes three days for the produce to reach the shelves.
“The emphasis has to be on quality over quantity. The Superior Seedless variety could reduce in volume, and use quality as a weapon in the competitive grape market. The key is to have a good run in July, so that consumers will stick with us into August.”
There are plans for AMC to move some tonnage from Superior Seedless to the Ralli variety, according to Pearce. “Our Ralli variety, a seedless red grape, is looking very good this season, with an excellent bunch formation. The first shipments to the UK have already begun and will continue until mid-August.”
The total Ralli crop is estimated at 1,300t, with 70 per cent being exported to the UK. The variety will be stocked in Marks & Spencer branded as Absolutely Pink, Tesco, Morrisons and Waitrose.
This is the fourth season that AMC will produce Ralli grapes, and the company has been building on the variety’s success to expand production each year. “The Ralli grape has an outstanding quality this year, much better than the Flame Seedless. The cooler weather in May meant that the grapes coloured up earlier this year, and picking began earlier than usual, on June 20.”
The Spanish grape season will last until November with the late Crimson and Autumn Royal varieties starting in August.
There are a number of grape sources from various parts of the world competing for shelf space in July, and this can be a difficult time for Spain as the Egyptian and Moroccan seasons start ahead of their own, says Neil Denny, group procurement manager at the Richard Hochfeld Group. The company will import 150,000 9kg cartons from Spain this season for Tesco.
“The duty free period for exporting to the EU before July 15 means that countries such as Morocco and Egypt try to cram in their products, as duty normally adds around eight per cent to their costs. Supply from non-EU sources usually take care of the market throughout June and the first week of July, when the Spanish season takes over the market. This week will be the first big week of sales for Spanish grapes.”
There is also a lot of competition from strawberries, as well as peaches and nectarines, at this time of year, according to Denny. “Supermarkets tend to put grapes next to strawberries on the shelves, and this sets them up in direct competition,” he says. “There are a lot of promotions on strawberries, particularly with Wimbledon on at the moment. But the price of grapes is the lowest that it can go, as we are fairly close to breaking even on production costs.”
Special offers and promotions will be a selling point for Spanish grapes, but there must always be an emphasis on quality product, says Denny. “The Foods from Spain promotions should prove successful with some sunshine and the school holidays around the corner,” he says. “But the most important thing is that producers continue to deliver high quality fruit, as this is the only thing that will inspire loyalty. There is a lot of pressure in a very competitive market in July, but shortcuts must not be taken. The only way that we can make consumers pick Spanish grapes is to offer them a good quality product.”
Consumption of Spanish grapes has continued to grow in the UK over the last 12 months, and seedless varieties are selling increasingly well. Parents choosing to include fresh snacks in their children’s school lunchboxes has played a large part in the growth, according to Foods from Spain. Healthy eating initiatives have focused on the eating habits of young people, and a quarter of all the grapes sold in the UK are eaten by children, and one fifth are included in school lunchboxes.
Sales of grapes increased by 12 per cent last year, and 30 per cent over the last three years, according to TNS Worldpanel data. Shoppers who already bought the fruit have increased the quantity that they buy, and more people have started to include them on the family shopping list.
But product development of Spanish grapes has been limited in recent years as many Spanish grapes are licensed varieties, says Denny. “The Spanish grapes available now are looking good,” he adds. “Our focus must be on delivering quality grapes from Spain, and have our fingers crossed for a successful season.”
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