The fall season is increasingly important for the California table grape industry, as many growers have substantially increased their plantings for the late season in recent years and continue to do so.

At Sunview Marketing International in Delano, CA, “we have a big program” for fall, and “we have always had a big program for many years,” said Scott Boyajian, director of sales, in an interview with The Produce News Aug. 6.

The 2014 California fresh grape harvest started early for most growers, but as the season rolls along, some are seeing the later varieties also trending ahead of schedule, while others are seeing the later varieties showing closer to normal timing.

Bari Produce LLC in Madera, CA, expects to harvest and pack around 1.25 million boxes of fresh grapes this year, according to Justin Bedwell. Most of those will come during the fall season.

The company also grows and packs stone fruit during the summer months and pomegranates for the fall season.

Grape acreage at Vignolo Farms in Shafter, CA “has increased tremendously over the last 15 years,” according to Brett Dixon, president and sales manager of Top Brass Marketing Inc. in Bakersfield, CA, the exclusive sales and marketing agent for table grapes, wine grapes and potatoes grown and packed by Vignolo.

“There has been a lot of development” at Anthony Vineyards Inc. in Bakersfield, CA, as with the California grape industry in general in terms of “new varieties coming up in the fall,” said John Harley, vice president of sales and marketing, Aug. 5.

The introduction and expansion of those varieties “will extend our season, there is no doubt about that,” Harley said. Even with the early harvest this year on most varieties, with those increases “we will probably go into December, barring any weather issues.”

The Chuck Olsen Co. in Visalia, CA, which grows grapes in locations from the Delano area of Kern County north to the Visalia area, is looking forward to a good fall season, particularly if movement continues as good as it has been during the early part of the season, according to Jeff Olsen, president of the company.

“As of right now, everything seems to be moving OK,” he said Aug. 7. “Overall quality has been good.”