The California produce industry is in an era of rapid change, fueled by a combination of increased consolidation in the retail world, the fast pace of technological advancement and market changes, including growth in export markets and in non-traditional domestic markets such as club stores. Produce packer/marketers have had to remain flexible throughout this time and adapt to changes in the industry. Nowhere is that more visible than in the proliferation of different types of containers and packaging.  Domestic buyers are still mainly asking for the traditional bulk packaging in corrugated cartons, but there is a trend toward increased use of reusable plastic containers (RPC’s), clubpacks, the Eurobox, and of Styrofoam and plastic containers. clamshells and resealable bags are on the rise as well

Sun World’s Mike Aiton, Sr. Vice President of Sales and Marketing commented on changes in packaging he has seen in the U.S. supermarket industry: “Each retail customer wants to differentiate themselves in the produce department; it is one of the few areas where they can do so. Many try to do this with different boxes, bags, and ways of presentation. We have more demand now for value-added type of packaging, where there’s less handling of the actual product. Resealable bags will account for about 80% of our grape volume this year, and clamshell packaging is increasing; about 12% of our grapes will be shipped in clamshells this year, up from 3% two years age. The club stores are exclusively four pound clamshells now”. 

Regarding the growth in the number of packaging combinations at Sun World, Aiton noted, “Because we handle so many different commodities, the combinations are almost endless. Speaking specifically of grapes, that number is currently more than fifty, and for tree fruit it is more like twenty. Traditional corrugated cartons are still popular but they are increasingly seen as being too flimsy and unreliable”. The shift away from traditional corrugated cartons in the U.S. is also fueled by the growth in importance of Wal-Mart and of club stores, who like to display fruit in the container. Aiton remarked, “Demand for reusable RPC has grown rapidly and is driven primarily by Wal-Mart, who uses about 90% of what we pack in this container. Clubpacks are also growing in popularity because of the growth of club stores. Traditional retailers will occasionally experiment with clubpacks, but they rarely develop programs”.  Commenting on other trends, Aiton said, “There is a steady shift toward the Styrofoam container, especially for export customers, because it helps with storage and seems to protect the fruit better. The biggest drawback is to the receiver, who often will encounter disposal problems. For export, fruit is still primarily shipped in styro, but the latest trend is toward plastic cartons”. 

Sun World's new late-season red seedless grape, Sugranineteen was being harvested commercially for the first time during the second half of September in Bakersfield, California. We talked to Kevin Andrew, Sun World Sr. Vice President of Operations about the cultivar and how it performed this year.  

"The quality and yields have far exceeded my expectations", Andrew said, "On four year old organic vines and first-crop grafts, we will achieve yields of over 1000 19 lb. boxes/acre (21 tons/hectare). And berry size has been consistently 13-15/16ths (20-24 mm) all season. 

Most surprising is the savings on packing costs versus the Crimson variety; in a good color year for Crimson, we're still able to pack Sugranineteen for $1-$1.50/box less because of the more even and better color. And that savings should increase as the last passes on Crimson are typically the most expensive. Because of the large berry size and uniform color, we are able to command a higher price versus Crimson as well. The density of the berry and the bunches make it possible to achieve very large yields without leaving an excessive number of bunches."

Regarding problems this year with Sugranineteen, Andrew noted, "The berry size caught me by surprise and as a result clusters were a little tight this year. We will have to make some adjustments in our thinning program. Otherwise, it will be an extremely successful year for the variety.

For photos of this year's Sugranineteen harvest go to Seasonal Shots for Weeks 34-37.