Spanish table grape season kicks off with positive production prospects

The Spanish table grape season will begin around July 5th, in Murcia, with a ten-day delay, and a normal yield is expected across the country, around 320,000 tonnes, according to FEPEX during the meeting of the contact group of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, held in Ferreira do Alentejo, in Beja, Portugal
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The first volumes of the upcoming table grape season in Spain will come from the Murcia coast, with a ten-day delay compared to last year. So far, there have been no damages from frost or hail, as most of the production is protected with anti-hail netting, explained Joaquín Gómez, president of the Association of Producers and Exporters of Fruit, Table Grapes and Other Agricultural Products of Murcia (APOEXPA), who spoke at the contact group on behalf of FEPEX, along with technicians from the federation.

Joaquín Gómez also stated that the early varieties have set fruit well, and a normal yield is expected in Murcia and generally throughout Spain, with national production estimates at 320,000 tonnes.

At the contact group, held on June 4th and 5th, composed of representatives from the main industry associations of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, as well as government officials, one of the main problems affecting EU production was identified: the lack of phytosanitary products and active substances, which makes pest control difficult. The group agreed to continue the ongoing joint study aimed at identifying the active substances used in each country that are essential to maintain. The study has already begun with contributions from French and Spanish growers.

Table Grapes Symposium

It was also agreed during the meeting that the next contact group session will be held in September 2026, coinciding with the Table Grapes Symposium, an event to be organised by APOEXPA. This international symposium takes place every three years and gathers stakeholders from production, research, and the table grape industry worldwide to analyse the market, challenges, future outlook, and consumer preferences.

Spain is one of the leading table grape producers in the EU, after Italy, which has an estimated production of one million tonnes, and ahead of Greece, with a production of 273,000 tonnes in 2024. France ranks fourth in the EU, far behind the previous three, with 47,000 tonnes.

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As for Spanish table grape exports, they reached 167,245 tonnes and 448 million euros in 2024, with Murcia, the Valencian Community, Catalonia, and Andalusia as the main producing and exporting regions.

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