Traditional New Year’s Eve grapes grow pricier in 2023, with costs up to 20% higher and average prices around 3.54 euros per kilo
Mercamadrid data shows that on the same dates in 2022 the average was 2.29 euros per kilo, and 2.51 euros in 2021. Miriam Cutillas, commercial and marketing manager for the Alicante firm Uvasdoce, notes that the price of the Aledo grape, a popular variety this season, has doubled in the past year. [Cite: Mercamadrid pricing data]
Consumer group Facua reports supermarket and hypermarket grape prices rising by as much as 227 percent over the last two months. The surge helps explain why grapes become a near compulsive purchase around New Year’s Eve, even when prices climb. Pedro Aznar, a professor at Esade in the Economics, Finance and Accounting Department, observes that people will buy them regardless, and later the demand tends to thin out in the year ahead. [Cite: Facua pricing survey]
More grapes arriving from Peru
Grape sales in the final week of the year show a jump of up to 50 percent. While consumption is seasonal, it typically remains steady year round, the trend still shows a spike beyond a normal week. Joaquín Gómez, president of the Association of Exporters of Fruit, Table Grapes and Other Agricultural Products (Apoexpa), confirms a tightening supply, explaining that climate effects and disrupted global shipping logistics have left Spain with fewer grapes available now than in other years. [Cite: Apoexpa report]
In Alicante’s Vinalopó region, bagged table grape production is down from 2022 by 10 to 25 percent depending on variety and locality. Beatriz Rocamora, director of Vinalopó Embolsada Table Grape Origin, states that this decline resulted in about 36 million kilos harvested this season, with roughly half of that volume coming from the traditional Christmas grape Aledo. [Cite: Vinalopó harvest data]
Given the tighter supply, Uvasdoce indicates it is importing larger quantities of Peruvian grapes. Yet, despite these arrivals, the firm faces difficulties fulfilling orders for New Year’s Eve because density of demand remains exceptionally high. [Cite: Uvasdoce sourcing notes]
Seedless grapes win favor with consumers
Many customers prefer to toast the year with seedless grapes for comfort and convenience. Data from the producers’ association shows that around 70 percent of consumers favor seedless variants, while the Wholesale Business Association of the Madrid Central Fruit Market (Asomafrut) notes that the Aledo grape remains a favorite for some buyers. [Cite: consumer survey data]
In grape-focused businesses preparing for New Year’s Eve, Uvasdoce projects about 700,000 bunches of twelve grapes each will be sold exclusively on the last night of the year. Even with price increases, demand remains strong. At the Alicante company, Spaniards are expected to continue the tradition of eating twelve grapes at midnight as they transition from 2023 to 2024, whether seeded or seedless, whether bought loose or in special packaging. [Cite: Uvasdoce annual plan]