Grapes Gaining Ground: Growers of winegrapes and table grapes continue to face global challenges, but the opportunities for growth remain strong

摘要

The major issues facing the California table grape industry are increasing global competition from other countries of origin, trade imbalances such as high import tariffs, and unwarranted sanitary and phytosani-tary barriers to trade. According to USDA data, exports of California table grapes have increased significantly over the past 10 years both in volume and value terms, with the average exports shipped in the past five years (2002 through 2006) 23% higher than the previous five years (1997 through 2001). USDA data shows that the value of California table grape exports has increased 42% over the past 10 years through 2006. This growth trend looks set to continue as demand is increasing in many export markets that have the potential for significant increases.