California’s white concentrate market continues to shrink, while the state’s raisin industry is starting to fare better than it has in recent years.
“The number of gallons of grapes crushed for white concentrate last year was under 10 million,” says Greg Magill, president of Magill Brokerage. “In 2003 and 2004, we were at least at 35 million gallons. That’s quite a difference — and a lot of that is related to non-sustainability of raisin-type varietals that were going green.”
Much of that acreage has been taken out, with some of it giving way to nut crops, most notably almonds. The Thompson Seedless grape, a staple for concentrate and raisin production, was particularly vulnerable to removal.
At the same time, Magill says, the concentrate market in California has stabilized itself, “while the rest of the world was in chaos. Spain’s crop was off 40 percent, and they’re a key player in this market. Then you drop down to Argentina, and it was off 25 percent last year, and they are down to four or five processors, compared to 15 about ten years ago.”
A BOON TO RAISINS
The shrinkage has been a boon to the raisin industry, which is seeing “the best money in a long time —and I don’t see demand diminishing.” The 2017 raisin crop price was set at $1,800 per ton, well above the 2016 price of $1,100, which was blamed on a 20 percent uptick in world production.
Leaders of the Fresno-based Raisin Bargaining Association have predicted this year’s crop could command a price that will top the previous record of $1,900 per ton set in 2012.
Magill doesn’t foresee a glut of raisins, given that acreage for that crop is down to 150,000, which would result in likely production of 300,000 tons, a manageable marketing level “unless Turkey or Spain have big crops.”
President Trump’s stance on tariffs and weakening of the U.S. dollar work in favor of farmers getting a fair price for raisins next year, he says.
There is increased use of table grape strippings, or “”off grapes” such as Colombard or Chenin Blanc, for production of white concentrate, “even some excess Chardonnay. They’ve got the ability to adjust the acids and use new technology.”
OUTLOOK FOR CONCENTRATE
Magill declined to speculate on what the price would be for green grapes to be crushed into concentrate, saying it will only “be in relation to what the raisin price is.” This year, he says, the outlook for grapes for concentrate appears better in Spain because of rains, and a more normal crop is coming off in Argentina.
One of the success stories in the concentrate picture is a continued appetite for Rubired, which is also used to add color to wines. “Rubired is uniquely California,” Magill says, but sounds a caution that, in recent years, some Rubired has lost color, meaning more of the grapes are needed to get the desired color, increasing the cost to the end user.
“I don’t know if the cause of that is climatic, or if it’s due to over-cropping,” he says, “but you have to grow for color, not just tonnage.”
The San Joaquin Valley has long placed an emphasis on production for wines and concentrate, but in recent years has begun to step up efforts to improve quality.
FARM FOR SUCCESS
“You are in charge of your crop,” Magill says. “Farm for success, farm for color, and I would almost guarantee you will have a lot more interest in your product, and get premiums — or if nothing else, you’ll keep extensions on those contracts when they come up. You’re not going to be the one they want to dump; you’ll be the one they want to keep.”
The nation has been benefitted, he says, from the Food Safety Modernization Act, which gives the Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate the way foods are grown, harvested, and processed.
The act includes requirements for traceability from the farm to the shelf, which cannot be matched by some competitors.“Eighty percent of Argentina doesn’t have the capability of traceability to a specific field, date, and time of production,” Magill says.

Instructions

• PREHEAT oven to 350F. Lightly spray an 8-in. square glass or metal baking pan with oil and line with overhanging parchment.
• COMBINE dates with water in a medium saucepan over high. Boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until thick, 6 to 8 min. Remove from heat.
• STIR in vanilla and let cool.
• COMBINE oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a food processor. Pulse 3 times to combine. Add butter and pulse until oat mixture is crumbly (pea-sized). Transfer to a large bowl and quickly crumble with fingers to evenly distribute the butter. Spread two-thirds of oat mixture over bottom of prepared pan. Press down gently to make a crust. Scrape date mixture over crust and spread evenly. Layer with remaining oat mixture and press down lightly.
• BAKE in centre of oven until top is golden brown, 30 to 35 min. Transfer to a rack and cool completely in pan, about 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares.

Shopping tip: No need to splurge on Medjool dates for this recipe: We also tested it with packages cooking dates, and the squares were just as delicious!

MEET US IN UPCOMING ANUGA 2017 

We did it again! 
We are proud to announce that all our efforts have been compensated with the achievement of IFS certification. 
Our dedicated team, have invested time, effort and resources in the certification process because we recognised its importance as a significant quality control system.

Reported by: `Customs Today Report March 9, 2015

KABUL: Director of the Raisin, Fruits and Vegetables Export Development Administration, Muhammad Azim Hashemi, said during a meeting that despite a growing demand for and increased production of Afghan raisin products, close to 20 processing plants are expected to shut in the coming year.

“With the help that we have received from the World Bank for better packaging and processing of raisins we were able to increase exports this year, resulting in more markets for raisins from Afghanistan,” he said.

At the moment, four different types of raisins are exported from Afghanistan to other Asian countries, Europe and the Americas. And just this year, 22,000 tons of red raisins have been exported abroad. Experts say increased grape crop yields, new methods of processing, standardization of packaging have all contributed to the rise in raisin exports.

Officials from the Raisin, Fruits and Vegetables Export Development Administration have reported a 13 percent hike in raisin exports from Afghanistan. However, they have also warned that much of the country’s production capacity is about to go offline in part because of the lack of support the industry has received from local and national government.

Nevertheless, the potential for growth in Afghanistan’s raisin industry is threatened by challenges facing factories around the country. At the moment, out of 30 raisin processing factories nationwide, just 13 are operational. Experts say the lack of reliable electricity and financial support from the government are the primary factors behind the stunted growth of the raisin industry.

Most women work in raisin processing factories. Zalmai, a raisin factory owner, told TOLONews that if the government provided more support for the industry, the would be able to provide many more employment opportunities, especially for women. “If our work improves and we are supported, we can hire a lot more workers,” he said.

Meanwhile, economic analysts have said that, considering the growing demand for raisins from Afghanistan, the government should seize the opportunity and support the industry’s growth. They have asserted that such a strategy could help bolster government revenues and provide much needed employment opportunities.


Source: Customs Today <http://customstoday.com.pk/afghan-raisins-export-facing-processing-units-closure-2/>

The Australian dried fruit industry says it's facing tougher competition than ever for quality from its overseas competitors.

The local industry has struggled with successive wet seasons, resulting in more damaged fruit like sultanas being delivered to processors.

Chair of Dried Fruits Australia, Mark King, said that in a good year local fruit used to be superior to imports, but the rest of the world is catching up.

"Australia grows good quality fruit, the world never used to. You go to Turkey and they grow it on small areas and the quality of the fruit is not that great," he said.

"But now they have processing plants over there that turn average fruit into fruit equal to ours."

Mr King said the fruit had to be of a good quality or it risked losing markets.

"We can't expect the processors to be paying us for rubbish."

Grower Ivan Shaw, from Merbein South in north-west Victoria, recently helped to produce a best practice guide for the industry.

He said growers were facing wetter seasons and they needed to start using new rain-tolerant varieties and techniques available to improve grape quality, or risk having fruit knocked back.

"There's good markets for good quality fruit and virtually no market for poor quality fruit," he said.

"So in order to be a good viable, flourishing industry you need to be consistently supplying good quality fruit."

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/

#Australianraisins #Australian_crop_news

Raisin crop comes in short on tonnage
Sep 24, 2014
Greg Northcutt


California’s 2014 raisin grape crop was expected to be off the vines and lying on drying trays before Sept. 20. That’s the deadline for growers to have them on the ground to qualify for insurance should rain damage the grapes before they are picked up and put into bins.

Just about all of the U.S. raisin supply is produced in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera and Tulare counties.

With temperatures topping the 100-degree mark for several days during the first part of September, the weather has been ideal for drying the grapes, notes Steve Spate, grower representative for the Raisin Bargaining Association, based in Fresno, Calif.

The favorable harvest weather, however, hasn’t been enough to offset the disappointment of an unexpectedly small crop.

“Growers were anticipating production would be down, some, this year as the vines recovered from the large 2013 crop,” Spate says. “But, yields have been off anywhere from 10 percent to as much as 50 percent in some cases. Production levels this year could fall about 20 percent short of last year.”

That puts the projected size of the 2014 raisin crop – made mostly from Thompson Seedless grapes – at about 300,000 tons, he notes. Last season, California growers delivered around 360,000 tons of raisins to processors.

The 2014 California Raisin Grape Objective Measurement Report, released Aug. 12, 2014, forecast that the state’s growers would produce 1.95 million tons of raisin-type grapes. That’s down 13 percent from the 2013 final production and includes grapes harvested for juice and wine, as well as for raisins.

Growers are attributing the drop in raisin production this year to the continuing drought, which reduced the amount of surface water many growers received for irrigating their vineyards, and the fewer clusters the vines produced this season.

The Aug. 12 USDA-NASS report included a count of 36.5 bunches per vine. That compares to last year’s record bunch count of 47.7

“We believe a freeze in early December damaged the dormant vines,” Spate says.

“Because they were so dry when that first frost hit, the vines may have been more susceptible to freeze injury. We’re speculating that growers who did not irrigate adequately last fall and early spring this year led to the smaller number of clusters on the vines.”

Most growers have yet to have their boxes of raisins inspected for quality. Spate is expecting the reports to be positive.

“The sugar was a pretty good level when most of the grapes were picked,” he says. “So, the quality this year should be fairly good. However, the quality of the earlier-picked grapes may not be as high as those picked later, which have more time to hang on the vine, allowing quality to improve.”

Source: http://westernfarmpress.com/grapes/raisin-crop-comes-short-tonnage

According to a recent report by the USDA, the production and exports of Argentinean raisins are expected to rebound in 2015. Production for that year is estimated at 33,000 tons, 29,500 of which will be exported and the rest will be sent to the domestic market. 

Currently, the province of San Juan, in western Argentina, produces 95% of the country's raisins while the rest is mainly produced in the provinces of Mendoza and La Rioja. 

According to estimates from private sources, the country will have 6,600 hectares planted with raisins in 2014 and 2015, as there won't be any significant investment in land in the near future. 

The province of San Juan is a very dry region and, although there is still land available for the production of raisins in the province, area expansion depends heavily on irrigation, which, unfortunately, is very expensive. 

In 2015, the production of grapes for raisins in 2015 is expected to increase by 34.5% over the previous year, amounting to 138,600 tons as a result of favourable weather conditions. Thus, raisin production is expected to reach 33,000 tons. 

Meanwhile, grape production for 2014 is estimated at 102,900 tons, 31,500 tons less than in the previous year due to late frosts in September-October 2013 and the excess rains in the summer of 2014, during dry season. Thus, this year's raisin production is estimated at 24,500 tons, compared to the 34,000 tons estimated by the USDA. 

Industry Challenges 
Among the key challenges that the industry faces at present are the high import tariffs established for Argentine raisins in some export markets. The rising costs of production are a major concern, especially the cost of raw material, i.e. the grapes used for raisin production, labour, supplies, chemicals, energy, cargo and fuel. 

Private investment in the raisin sector has increased in recent years and is mainly of domestic capital. Investments have been made for the primary production and the incorporation of new technologies to deliver larger volumes that have a superior quality and are more competitive in order to supply the export markets. 

So far, there have been no announcements of major investments for the near future in this sector. 

It's worth noting that the import restrictions set by the Government of Argentina (GOA) in February 2012 have been discouraging producers from purchasing processing machinery abroad. So, there are currently about 32 processing plants in the province of San Juan. 

The main grapes used to produce raisins are the Flame Seedless (which accounts for more than 40% of the total raisin production) and Arizul (INTA CG 351) (accounting for over 20% of raisin production), which have attracted new investments in processing facilities and storage technology. 

Other grape varieties that used to produce raisins are: Sultanina Blanca (Thompson Seedless), Superior Seedless, Torrontés sanjuanino, Cherry, Emperor, Tinogastena and Criolla Chica. 

Fiesta is a relatively new variety originated in the U.S. that is well known because of its good performance, adaptability and drying process. As such, estimates are that the area planted with this variety will continue to increase in the near future. 

The drying process in Argentina is carried out, mainly, by using the sun. The grapes are placed on racks covered by stones and left to dry under the sun for a period of 15-30 days, depending on the grape variety. The final product has a moisture content of 15-20%. 

After the drying process is completed, vegetable oil is applied to the raisins and then they are packed in 13-kilo boxes, in bulk or in groups. 

The Ministry of Agriculture of Argentina established a protocol for certified raisins, which includes a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. 

According to the report by the USDA, the Argentina's raisin consumption is very low and varies between 2,500 and 3,500 tons a year, depending heavily on exports. 

Argentineans do not have the habit of eating raisins on a daily basis, as an aperitif or in bakery products. However, there has been an increase in raisin demand to be used in chocolate bars and cereals, ice cream, bakery industries, confectionery and local foods. 

Domestic consumption is expected to increase to 3,530 MT in 2015 because there will be a larger production. Exports of raisins for 2015 are estimated at 29,500 tons, i.e. 34% more than in the previous year. 

Exports for 2014 are expected to decline sharply to 22,000 tons, 8,000 tons less than the official estimates, due to lower production. 


Source: Fresh Fruit Portal

Publication date: 9/4/2014

MANİSA — Grape producer Ülgen brothers from Manisa's Sarıgöl district recently established Turkey's first grape drying facility which uses solar energy and biomass system. Ali İhsan Ülgen said that grapes are generally dried in September and October in Sarıgöl. "Due to autumn rains, grapes are left to dry outside until December, leading to a decrease in quality. We wanted to establish a special facility to dry Sultaniye grapes, which is currently in the testing phrase. Five-tons of grapes will be dried only in 50 hours with solar energy," he continued.

Project manager at Aktif Solar Energy Drying Systems (AGES), Ahmet Gözlükaya said that the system was developed to dry grapes, figs and tobacco in an affordable way across the Aegean region. "For the last 150 years, grape, fig and tobacco are dried outside at stalls. From now on, they will be dried with solar energy and biomass, which are healthier.

Gözlükaya gave detailed information about the new system's technical details. Grapes are dried under solar panels at 65 to 70 degrees. At night or in cloudy days, the biomass system dries them under the same temperature in 50 hours. Recently, figs were dried at 60 degrees in Aydın's Elbeyli district. Tobacco was also successfully dried in İzmir's Menemen district.

Gözlükaya further informed that grapes are washed before drying. "We wash grapes with a mixture of olive oil and oak tree ash. They are put into boxes and heated with solar energy. Oak tree ash is used for its potassium content, which does not leave any residue," he added. Ülgen further said that the first trial ended in success. "During our first trial, we had chance to see our faults. It takes longer to dry grapes in plastic boxes," he concluded.

Source: http://www.dailysabah.com/life/2014/08/29/manisa-dries-50-tons-of-grapes-in-50-hours-using-solar-energy

BY ROBERT RODRIGUEZ

The Fresno BeeAugust 15, 2014 

Two years ago, growers of the versatile Thompson seedless grape were being wooed by the raisin and wine industries as competition for their fruit pushed prices to record highs.

But factors have changed this year and wine grape buyers expect prices to tumble. How far remains to be seen. Some say the $325 a ton many central San Joaquin Valley farmers received in 2012 from wineries is not likely to be repeated.
"There is little activity to almost no activity from wineries that are traditionally buying grapes this time of year," said Nat DiBuduo, president of the Fresno-based Allied Grape Growers. "They are just not out there."
DiBuduo and others say a rise in imported bulk wine, competition from other beverages and healthy inventories of wine have weakened demand for Valley raisin grapes.
In good years, the raisin grape varieties grown in the Valley are used to make juice concentrate, brandy or kosher wine.
But back-to-back bumper crops have filled the tanks at the wineries.
"We are at the point where we are facing capacity issues," DiBuduo said. "It's like: There is no room at the inn."
Also working against California grape growers are bulk wine imports from Australia, Argentina and Spain.
Winemakers also are facing tougher competition from the growing craft beer, hard cider and distilled spirits industries, said Erica Moyer, partner/broker at Turrentine Brokerage in Novato.
"There is no question this is going to be a challenging year," Moyer said.
Several farmers say that with seemingly little interest from the wineries, making raisins may be a better option.
"This year, I am seriously considering it," said Paul Lanfranco, a Kerman-area grape grower.
"It would be nice to compare what the wineries are paying but at some point I am going to have to make a decision."
Lanfranco, who has about 400 acres of raisin variety grapes, has talked with one packer who said the price may fall in the range of $1,700 to $1,800 a ton.
The actual raisin price still is being negotiated between the industry's packers and the growers representative, the Raisin Bargaining Association.
Glen Goto, chief executive officer of the association, is optimistic about this year's crop and price. Last year, California raisin farmers produced a bumper crop and the industry packers still managed to increase sales by 18% over the previous year.
This year, poor weather and the drought have contributed to a smaller crop.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates this year's raisin crop will be 13% smaller.
"Even though there is still some question about how many acres will go to make raisins or go to the wineries, I am still very optimistic we can move the volume because of what we did last year," Goto said.
Goto would like to see at least the same price growers received last year: $1,650.
They achieved a record price in 2012 at $1,900.
"We would like to start at $1,650 and go from there," Goto said.

Arat Company will be exhibiting at upcoming SIAL 2014 in Paris.
The Exhibition starts from October 19th to 23rd October 2014 - Stand