New raisin grape holds promise for central San Joaquin Valley growers

September 19, 2015 FRESNO, CA

Sunpreme grape developed by USDA plant breeders

Grape can dry on the vine into a raisin without cutting any canes

New grape significantly reduces the need for labor

As one of the most labor-intensive crops grown in Fresno County, raisins require thousands of workers to complete the harvest. And over the years, the labor pool has begun to shrink, causing growers to either pull out their vines or switch to harvesting methods that require less labor.

To growers, Sunpreme represents the potential for a huge savings in labor and money. Without a need to cut canes, or clip bunches, the work of three or four people could replace that of dozens. It also holds the promise of helping to stabilize the exodus of growers pushing their raisin grapes out in favor of higher-value crops, like almonds, pistachios and citrus.

California’s raisin acreage has been declining steadily over the last decade, reaching a low of 185,000 acres this year, with a majority of that in Fresno County, according to the USDA.

“This could be a real game changer for the raisin industry,” said Dustin Hooper, director of sales for Vintage Nurseries in Wasco, one of five California nurseries that will sell the new variety. “Once people started hearing about it, they started asking us for it.”

Michael Kazarian, a Fowler area grower, is among the farmers who have been tracking the grape’s development.

“So many people are looking for alternatives in farming and this could be one of them,” Kazarian said. “Already, there are lots of guys who want to put in test plots to see how it does with existing trellising systems.”