The European table grape production is expected to fall in the 2016-2017 campaign, according to the latest estimates of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
To be precise, the production of the 28 member states of the European Union will fall by 3.5% and reach 1,693,930 tonnes, compared to the 1,756,224 tonnes of the 2015-2016 campaign. It will still be considered a good season, in any case, if one takes into account that the production will still be significantly higher than the 1,638,239 tonnes of the 2014-2015 campaign. The EU, as noted by the report, remains a global leader in the production of table grapes, with Italy, Greece and Spain accounting for almost 93% of the total.
Of the three main table grape producers, the biggest drop in production volumes is expected to be recorded in Greece, with a 6.9% fall. The country is expected to produce 290,000 tonnes, compared to 311,491 tonnes in the period from 2015 to 2016. The reduction has mostly been the result of the impact of drought in Crete and of strong rainfall in Corinth.
In Italy, the decline is estimated at 4.3%, due to weather conditions during the fruit setting. In contrast, and according to the latest data from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Spain's table grape production is expected to increase by 3.8% in the 2016-2017 campaign.
It is worth noting that of the 28 EU member states, the biggest drop in the production is expected in Bulgaria, with -17.4%.
