Al Jazeera Net correspondents
6/26/2024–|Last updated: 6/26/202406:02 PM (Makkah Time)
Grapes are a delicious summer fruit that a large percentage of homes in the world do not lack. They are widely grown in a large number of countries around the world, especially in the Mediterranean region, the continents of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
In this report, Al Jazeera Net sheds light on the 10 largest countries producing, exporting and importing grapes in the world (table grapes), excluding grapes grown for industries such as alcoholic beverages and others.
Grape production growth 2024
Table grape production reached more than 28.4 million tons in the 2022/2023 season, supported by increased supply from China, the largest grape-producing country in the world.
According to the US Department of Agriculture report, global exports are expected to remain almost unchanged at 3.7 million tons this season, with shipments from Chile and China increasing to compensate for production losses in Turkey and the United States.
According to the USDA report, China’s investment in improved production practices, including crop protection, plant breeding, cultivation and storage technology, has improved fruit quality and expanded the supply season for table grapes in almost all Chinese provinces.
These improvements combined with good growing conditions are expected to increase Chinese grape production to 13.5 million, the main driver of increased global production volume for the 2023/2024 marketing year (12 months to 31 May 2024 for the Northern Hemisphere and 30 September). September for the Southern Hemisphere).
Indian production is also expected to improve slightly by 100,000 tons to more than 3 million tons, while Peruvian production is expected to remain steady at 776,000 tons.
South African production is likely to recover from last season’s weather-affected losses, rising by 24,000 tons to about 342,000 tons.
On the other hand, production in Turkey is expected to decrease by 320 thousand tons to 1.9 million tons due to crop losses due to powdery mildew in the Aegean region after delayed rains.
The US Department of Agriculture report said that the European Union will also witness losses due to heavy rains, which will reduce the production of EU countries to about 1.3 million tons, while US production is expected to rise by 67 thousand tons to 878 thousand tons.
As for the Arab world, Egypt is the largest producer of grapes, and occupies sixth place globally in quantity of production. It is expected to produce about 1.57 million tons of grapes in the 2023-2024 season.
The 10 largest grape producing countries in the world
The following is a list of the top 10 countries producing table grapes in the world for the 2023-2024 season, according to what was reported by the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture:
- China: 13.5 million tons (48% of global production)
- India: 2.95 million tons (10%)
- Türkiye: 1.9 million tons (7%)
- Brazil: 1.75 million tons (6%)
- Uzbekistan: 1.7 million tons (6%)
- Egypt: 1.57 million tons (6%)
- EU: 1.3 million tons (5%)
- United States: 878 thousand tons (3%)
- Peru: 776 thousand tons (3%)
- Chile: 775 thousand tons (3%)
The 10 largest grape exporting countries in the world
This is a list of the top 10 countries exporting table grapes in the world for the 2022-2023 season, according to the statistical platform “Statista” and the “Produce Blue Book” platform.
- Peru: 593 thousand tons
- Chile: 497 thousand tons
- China: 389 thousand tons
- South Africa: 285 thousand tons
- India: 282 thousand tons
- United States: 247 thousand tons
- Türkiye: 227 thousand tons
- Mexico: 209 thousand tons
- European Union: 173 thousand tons
- Egypt: 170 thousand tons
The top 10 grape importing countries in the world
Below we present to you the top 10 countries importing fresh grapes in the world in 2023, according to World Bank statistics:
- United States: 817.2 thousand tons
- Germany: 346.7 thousand tons
- Netherlands: 338.3 thousand tons
- United Kingdom: 258.8 thousand tons
- Canada: 173.5 thousand tons
- China: 166.7 thousand tons
- France: 126.3 thousand tons
- Poland: 125 thousand tons
- Hong Kong: 111.4 thousand tons
- Mexico: 92 thousand tons
The 5 largest grape-producing Arab countries
Egypt is the largest Arab grape producing country, ranking sixth in the world in grape production.
The following is a list of the top 5 Arab countries producing grapes in 2022, according to statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO):
- Egypt: 1.57 million tons
- Algeria: 627 thousand tons
- Iraq: 385 thousand tons
- Morocco: 320 thousand tons
- Syria: 229 thousand tons
The top 5 Arab countries importing grapes
Many Arab countries import large quantities of grapes, especially in the Arabian Gulf region. This is a list of the top 5 Arab countries importing grapes in 2022, denominated in US dollars, according to the OEC World platform (oec.world).
- UAE: $119 million
- Saudi Arabia: $100 million
- Sultanate of Oman: $44.1 million
- Kuwait: $34 million
- Qatar: $16.6 million
Facts about grape fruit
- Grape cultivation may be as old as civilization itself, and archaeological evidence suggests that humans began growing grapes as early as 6500 BC during the Neolithic Age.
- By 4000 BC, grape cultivation extended from the Caucasus to Asia Minor and across the Nile Delta into Egypt.
- It is widely believed that King Hammurabi of Babylon enacted the world’s first alcoholic beverage law when he established rules for the wine trade in 1700 BC, according to what the American University of Missouri reported on its platform.
- Credit for spreading grape culture westward goes to the Hittites, who migrated to Crete, Bosporus, and Thrace as early as 3000 BC.
- Later, the Greeks and Phoenicians expanded grape cultivation to Carthage, Sicily, southern Italy, Spain, and France, and under the influence of the Romans, grape production spread throughout Europe.
