California Table Grape Crop Hit All-Time Record In 2008

An all-time record volume of table grapes grown in California was shipped to markets throughout the U.S. and internationally in 2008. There was a total of 99.1 million boxes of the fruit shipped May-January of 2008. The previous record, 97.4 million boxes, was set in 2005. Shipments of table grapes from California have increased by an average annual rate of 3% over the past 10 years.

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The collective 2008 California table grape crop was valued at $1.2 billion. It has increased at an average annual rate of 6.7% since 2003, which is double the average annual growth rate of the entire California agriculture value rating during the same time period.

2008 saw an increase in exports of California grapes as well; 40% of the crop was sent outside of the U.S. According to USDA, a total volume of $38.7 million 19-pound box equivalents of California table grapes valued at $608 million — an all-time high in value — was shipped to markets outside of the U.S. through January.

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