World table grape production to rise by 7% in 2022-23
Total global fresh table grape production is projected to increase in 2022-23 by 7% to 27.4 million, according to USDA data. Good growing conditions in China and Turkey should offset losses in Chile and India. EU production is forecast up by 14% to 1.6 million tons, mostly thanks to good fruit set in Italy, as well as new seedless varieties coming into production in Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Meanwhile, production in the US is set to fall by 6% year-on-year, from 905,000 tons in 2021-22 to 850,000 tons in 2022-23, due to droughts and frosts, combined with a lack of labour and water availability.
China’s production is also projected up by almost 13% to 12.6 million tons, as good growing conditions improved yield and quality. Chilean production is set to continue its long-term decline after last year’s rebound, falling 56,000 tons to 737,000 tons. Abundant rainfall in Chile is expected to only partially mitigate losses from continued reduced acreage across all regions as growers continue to switch to more profitable crops such as cherries and walnuts.
Despite higher supplies, global imports are expected to ease slightly to 3.5 million tons on reduced demand from the EU and China. EU exports are forecast down 13,000 tons to 160,000 tons as high freight and transportation costs encourage more intra-EU trade. EU imports are also projected down 77,000 tons to 520,000 on lower demand and reduced output in some Southern Hemisphere suppliers.
