South Africa has been exporting fresh table grapes to the United States for over two decades, with an average annual growth rate of 19% over the last five years.

Joylene Van Wyk, the Media Liaison Officer for the country's Ministry of Agriculture, told Freshfruitportal.com that the table grape industry plays a significant role in the SA economy.

Thomas Holt III, running sales and marketing at Holt Logistics Corp., told Freshfruitportal.com that the supply of table grapes arriving in the U.S. is significantly outpacing last season.

The work of SENASA of Peru and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, achieved this innovation that opens a new option for the Peruvian industry other than shipping fruit in containers.

Members of the industry and exporters see this as a great opportunity to test out the system and see how it could be implemented in other regions of the country, as well as other export markets like the U.S.

Exports are expected to remain nearly unchanged at 3.7 million tons, with greater shipments coming from Chile and China making up for losses from Turkey and the U.S.

Shipments are estimated at a total aggregate volume of 69 million boxes (8.2 kg), which would mark an 8% drop year-on-year.

"As an industry, we need to review where we are, where we are going, and how to get there. This means looking at exciting technological advances, new varieties, and how to protect company secrets, yet at the same time share best practices," said McClarty.

“This year, unfortunately we have had half the sizing we saw last season. We’ve never come across a similar situation,” said AALPUM managing director Juan Alberto Laborin.

The shift in varieties has resulted in more spread throughout the season, which is expected to extend past the July 4th holiday in the U.S.