LONDON, May 14 (IranMania) – Raisins generate a farm value ranging from $200 million to $300 million annually in the State of California.

With production capacity ranging from about 300,000 short tons to nearly 500,000 short tons (dried-weight basis) over the last 13 years, the United States has become the world’s largest producer of raisins and the third largest exporter, after Turkey and Iran.

Raisins Made Mostly From Thompson Seedless Grapes Grape varieties are classified into three major groups: table-type, raisin-type, and wine-type grapes. Several varieties can be used for both fresh and processing regardless of type classification.

Raisins are dried grapes. Technically, a grape becomes a raisin when, during the drying process, its sugar content drops below 16 percent. In the United States, raisins are produced almost entirely in the Fresno area in California’s Central Valley.

Arizona produces a small fraction of all grapes used for making raisins, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS). The long, hot growing season and abundant water supplies in the Central Valley helped turn this region of California into the center of the U.S. raisin industry.

Over the last 5 years, the area harvested to raisin grapes ranged from 230,000 to 280,000 acres. It is difficult, however, to determine the actual acreage devoted solely to raisin production. Commercial raisin production in California began in the 1870s. As early as 1909, California produced 280,000 short tons of raisin grapes (fresh-weight basis) and dried about 95 percent of that volume. Now, California’s raisin grape production averages over 2 million short tons annually and about 70 percent of this volume is used each year in making raisins.

The very first raisins produced in California were made from Muscat grapes, a large, seeded wine-type grape variety brought into this country by Spanish missionaries. Just as Muscat raisins were becoming popular, a Scottish immigrant, William Thompson, introduced seedless grape cuttings to California in 1872.

Today, industry sources report that the Thompson seedless grape is not only the leading grape variety grown in California but it also represents more than 95 percent of all the grapes used to make raisins. This variety is classified as a raisin-type grape that produces a green, seedless fruit. While dominating raisin production, it is also

widely used for fresh consumption and for making juice concentrate and wine as well.

Several other raisin grape varieties are used for raisin production, including Muscat, Black Corinth, and Sultana. While most of the raisins are made from raisin-type grapes, about 1-2 percent of all the grapes dried in California comprise of table grape varieties. The most widely used table grape variety for raisin production is Flame seedless.

There are also about 600 table grape growers in California and although the fresh market is their largest outlet, some of these growers also produce for the raisin industry. Currently, between 3 and 5 percent of table grape production in California is processed into raisins. Growers sell their raisins to packers or handlers. A

packer takes on the responsibility of processing and packaging the raisins. A handler, on the other hand, is responsible for shipping. Processing generally includes: size grading, washing, and sorting to discard any unwanted material and ensure that the final product meets exacting standards and quality. After final inspections, the raisins are weighed and packed for distribution to various retail outlets. There are 22 raisin packers in California, including 3 cooperatives and 19 privately owned operations. Sun Maid Growers Cooperative of California is the largest of the three cooperatives, handling a large share of the industry’s production. All of the packers are also handlers, and there are two handlers who are not packers. Federal Marketing Order in Place The marketing of California raisins is regulated by a federal marketing order, authorized by the U.S. Congress through the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937. Marketing orders are designed to help stabilize market conditions for specific agricultural products