See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/320245104

Quality, post-harvest handling and export of grapes

Working Paper · October 2017

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.31391.46243

CITATIONS READS
0 436

1 author:

Ajay Kumar Sharma

ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes
89 PUBLICATIONS   175 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Improvement in quality of dried grapes View project

Utilization of winery by-products View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Ajay Kumar Sharma on 06 October 2017.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Quality, post-harvest handling and export of grapes
Dr. Ajay Kumar Sharma,
Principal Scientist (Horticulture Science),
ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune (India)

Grape growing in India is becoming very popular in tropical regions. As per an estimate 136
thousand ha area was under grapes and production was 2784 thousand tons during 2016-17
(Anonymous, 2017a). As Maharashtra and Karnataka has monopoly in grape production and
contributing 95% of total grape production of country. Grapes is the highest among all the fruit
crops to earn foreign exchange and is also creating employment opportunities for farmers, farm
labours, exporters, traders and others who are associated with it. Following the criteria of GAP
can further help the stakeholders to attain international standard and thus to explore more
opportunity for export and eventually to upgrade their economic status. GAP in terms of training,
pruning, vineyard management, irrigation, fertilization, crop protection, appropriate stage of
harvesting, method of harvesting, packaging, storing and transporting are important and these
practices also ensure the safety of the produce (Som et al. 2014). Due to tropical conditions, the
grape berries face higher temperature during maturity, ripening and harvesting. Supply chain in
domestic market is very poor and has direct impact on bunch quality including shelf life. Many
times due to high temperature, berry shattering, rachis browning and shriveling starts in the
supply chain only and before reaching at destination, berries lose their shelf life. Not only high
temperature, improper handling of bunches during harvesting and transportation, lacking of
grading, improper packaging materials etc. lead to heavy post harvest losses and deterioration
in quality.

International trade in table grapes has expanded tremendously over the last few decades, with
out-of-season fresh produce now being traded and consumed globally. Trade intensification has
been driven by emerging traders who have changed the economic geography of table grape
production. Among new traders, India has occupied its position and grape export from India is
growing very fast. During the grape season of 2016-17, India has exported about 2,32,947 tons
of grapes which is about 10% of total grape production (Table 1). This scenario is changed after
implementation of Residue Monitoring Plan (RMP) for Export of Grapes to EU. The RMP is
implemented by National Referral Laboratory at ICAR-NRC for Grapes, Pune and supported
by APEDA. For the export purpose, international standards are being followed from
monitoring of agrochemicals in vineyards, harvesting, grading, packing, precooling, cold chain
supply management and traceability upto table of consumers. Due to tight competition in
export, we have to supply grapes as per market requirements as well as consumer preferences.

Quality: Quality is very wide term and generally related to satisfaction of consumer. Quality of
grape berries is the prime consideration in both domestic and export markets. Grape berries
develop as clusters with each berry attached to the bunch stem (rachis and branches) via a

1
pedicel, which contains vascular bundles. The important quality characteristics comprise both
bunch as well as berry properties. These include uniform bunch colour, bunch size, bunch shape
and weight, stem quality, berry colour, berry size and shape, firmness and content and ratio
between total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) (Harindra Champa, 2015). In
case of grapes different markets and different consumers have own criteria to decide quality. It
varied variety to variety also. On the basis of consumers survey in Spain market a good
taste/sweetness showed maximum value (26.7%) followed by thin skin (15.8%), seedlessness
(10.0%) and size (8.9%). These parameters contribute about 61% of quality (Table 2). So, the
ideal table grapes for the consumer should be, and in this order: sweet, with thin skin, no seeds,
large size, and juicy (Piva et al. 2006). About 10 000 vine varieties known in the world for
different purposes, 13 grape represents more than one third of the world vine area and 33
varieties represents 50% (Table 3). In case of table grapes, Kyoho occupied maximum area
which is mainly grown in China, followed by Sultania (Thompson Seedless) and Red Globe
(Anonymous, 2017b). The Thompson Seedless is the most important variety, a grape that is
popular in the European market and which Indian producers have managed to secure their
position. Like every other agricultural commodity, the prices of grapes are dependent on
production and season. Due to the large number of varieties available, price/ton varies greatly.
Generally, prices for red grape varieties are higher, as compared to the other varieties.

Maturity: Harvesting period is determined by the variety, climatic conditions, TSS, acidity and
sugar acid ratio, depending on whether the grape is for local or export market. Maturity standards
of grapes fixed under the AGMARK states that the minimum TSS of 16 °B and sugar acid ratio
of 20:1 and this has to be complied or export and domestic market. Although the sugar content of
the berries is considered as the indicator of their level of ripening, the ratio of sugar/acid is the
correct index of ripening, since this ratio indicates the taste of berries. Physical appearance is
considered as the major criteria under which bunch and berry size with uniform colour is
important. Characteristic uniform colour development is a reliable index of ripening in coloured
varieties. In white varieties, uniform green colour is preferred in the export market. Change of
green colour to straw or amber colour should not be taken to indicate the stage of ripening as
exposed clusters shows more colour change even at less maturity as compared to shaded clusters
(Sharma and Adsule, 2014).

Harvesting: As the grape bunches are very susceptible to surface abrasions/bruises, the berries
should not be touched when harvesting. Harvesting should be done by skilled workers wearing
soft rubber gloves and using sharp secateurs / scissors for cutting. Careful handling of grapes
during harvesting, transporting, cleaning and packing is very essential to prevent injury and
abrasion. The bunch should always be held the by the stem/ peduncle. Rough handling results in
loss of bloom (thin wax coating on berry surface) making the berries susceptible to decay.
Bunches should be harvested during the early morning hours before the berry temperature rises
above 20°C. It is advisable to close harvest by 10 a.m. If rainfall has occurred just prior to

2
harvest, the fruit should not be picked for at least 3-4 days, as the free moisture present on the
surface of the berries can lead to fungal infections. Clusters should never be held against the
naked palm while cleaning, harvesting or trimming. They should be held by their stalk,
preferably by wearing rubber gloves. This care is taken not to erase the fine waxy coating called
'bloom' from the berry surface (Adsule et al. 2013). Harvested bunches are placed gently in
clean perforated plastic crates and left in the shade of the vines for subsequent transfer to pack-
house. The crates should be lined with clean bubble sheets for cushioning and kept over
newspapers spread on the ground to avoid contamination with vineyard dust. The bunches are
kept in such a way that their stalks should not injure berries from other bunches.

Grading and Packing: The sorting and grading of grape bunch is very much required for
fetching the good value of produce in domestic market. It is essential to grade the fresh table
grapes according to the AGMARK standards. The grapes have three standards viz.; Extra Class,
Class I and Class II as per AGMARK. Table grapes shall be packed in such a way that the
produce is suitably protected during transportation and handling. Packaging is normally done in
corrugated or solid fiber board cartons. A layer of bubble pad or protective liner is placed at the
bottom of the carton to protect the grapes from bruising and a polyethylene lining is placed over
this. Bunches from these weighed lots are placed in small, thin and clean food grade
polyethylene pouches. One or maximum two bunches weighing neither less than 350 g or more
than 650 g are placed in each pouch. No bunch weighing less than 150 g is placed in a pouch.
The grapes are then pre-cooled to a temperature of 4°C and then a sulphur dioxide generating
pad enclosed in absorbent tissue paper is placed over the grapes. This is then covered with the
polyethylene lining and the box is closed. During packing care should be taken to avoid damage
to the fruit due to shattering, splitting or bruising. Packing in multi-layers within a crate causes
weakening of the pedicle attachment in the berries of the lower bunches due to pressure exerted
by the bunches on top. Table grapes must be packed in such a way as to protect the produce
properly. In the case of 'Extra' Class, bunches must be packed in a single layer.

Pre-cooling and Storage: The pre-cooling is practiced to reduce field heat. Prompt removal of
field heat from harvested berries is the best way of retaining the freshness of grapes for a longer
time. The temperature in the pack house should be maintained at 18-20°C and the grapes should
be transported to pre-cooling units with 4-6 hours of harvest. The temperature of harvested
grapes should be brought down to less than 4°C within six to eight hours in the pre-cooling
chambers. The delay in bringing down to this temperature will reduce the keeping quality of
grapes. After pre-cooling, the dual releasing sulphur dioxide pads (Grape guard) are placed with
their coated surfaces facing downwards on the filled plastic pouches and covered with the plastic
sheet lining. The boxes are closed and shifted to cold storage rooms where the temperature and
humidity are maintained at 0 ± 0.50C and 93 ± 2% respectively. Temperature of 0 °C and
humidity of 95% are the best for maintaining freshness and preventing decay. Freezing injury to
berries, pedicels and rachis occur at –2 °C, while at slightly higher temperatures decay may

3
occur. Care should be taken to maintain the temperature and humidity strictly during storage and
transit.

International trade and competiveness: Due to changes in factors related to consumer

preferences, technological innovations in production, storage and transportation, trade
agreements and institutional characteristics International trade of table grapes expanded very fast
in last decades. These factors have played a major role in opening of new markets for different
exporting countries. Changing consumer preferences are also evident in the year-round consumer
demand, which matches year-round availability with consumers willing to pay more for imported
out-of-season fresh grapes. Technological developments have also helped in making
international transactions easier, increasing the profitability for shippers exporting table grapes
and making produce available to consumers globally, at affordable prices. Development of new
varieties as per demand of consumers and suitability of developed varieties under different grape
growing conditions and innovations in supply chain and traceability helped in development of
specific markets. Due to these factors, competitiveness in global grape trade is increasing year by
year and scenario is changing very fast. The main competitors of Chile and South Africa from
the southern hemisphere are Argentina, Brazil and Peru. In the northern hemisphere, China
shows an increase in competitiveness. The emerging exporters in the northern hemisphere are
Mexico, India and Egypt. By the late 1990s, Indian grape exports had shifted from Gulf countries
such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to EU countries, particularly the Netherlands, the UK
and Belgium. Finally, Egypt takes advantage of a two-month period between May and July when
the supply of table grapes in Europe is reduced and prices increase. For India, the main market is
the EU, but increasing volumes are now being shipped to Russia, Ukrain, China, Canada etc.
Some important markets like Australia, New Zealand, South Korea are waiting for Indian grapes.
After compliance of certain norms in supply chain and signing of agreements, these markets will
come within reach of Indian exporters very soon.
Table 1: Export of grapes to different countries (Qty in tons and value in ` million)
2014-15 2015-16 2016-17
Country
Qty Value Qty Value Qty Value
Netherland 32859 3,616.8 50,702 5,881.4 56,446 6,268.3
Russia 12625 1,137.2 13,804 1,367.3 27,354 2,766.7
UK 13475 1,602.8 18,014 2,087.7 14,063 1,590.2
UAE 11860 11,35.4 13,075 1,166.1 16,814 1.432.2
Germany 2939 3,23.6 5,144 549.1 11,373 1,245.5
Saudi Arabia 5319 4,68.9 8,140 694.1 12,420 1,144.9
Bangladesh 3562 1,31.2 7,426 1 97.5 38,358 1,035.4
Thailand 2260 287.3 3,193 404.2 4,655 608.5
Belgium 217 229.86 131 10.6 4,876 511.1
Total 1,07,257 10,864.9 1,56,218 15,513.1 2,32,947 20,883.5
http://agriexchange.apeda.gov.in/indexp/Product_description_32head.aspx?gcode=0205

4
Table 2: Key Quality Characteristics According to Consumers of Spain

Characteristics % Cumulative %
Sweet 26.7 26.7
Thin Skin 15.8 42.5
Few/No seeds 10.0 52.5
Large Size (Bold Berry) 8.9 61.4
Juice 6.5 68.0
Good taste 5.1 73.1
Colour 4.4 77.5
Good looking 4.0 81.5
Maturity 3.0 84.4
Good conservation 3.0 87.4
Hard 2.5 89.9
Others 10.1 100.0
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbf/v28n2/a23v28n2.pdf

Table 3: Main grape varieties distributed in world

Variety Surface (ha) Purpose

Kyoho 365 000 Table
Cabernet-Sauvignon 340 000 Wine
Sultanina 300 000 Table, dried and wine
Merlot 266 000 Wine
Tempranillo 231 000 Wine
Airen 218 000 Wine and Brandy
Chardonnay 211 000 Wine
Syrah 190 000 Wine
Grenache Noir (Granacha tinta) 163 000 Wine
Red Globe 160 000 Table
Sauvignon Blanc 121 000 Wine
Pinot Noir / Blauer burgunder 115 000 Wine
Trebbiano Toscano / Ugni blanc 111 000 Wine and Brandy
http://www.oiv.int/public/medias/5336/infographie-focus-oiv-2017-new.pdf

References:
Adsule, P G; Yadav, D S; Satisha, J; Sharma, A K; Upadhaya, A. 2013. Good Agricultural
Practices for Production of Quality Table Grapes. NRC for Grapes (ICAR). Pune 412
307. India.

5
 Anonymous, 2017a. 3rd Advance Estimate of Area and Production of Horticulture Crops (2016-
2017).
http://nhb.gov.in/PDFViwer.aspx?enc=3ZOO8K5CzcdC/Yq6HcdIxC0U1kZZenFuNV
XacDLxz28=
Anonymous, 2017b. OIV FOCUS 2017: Vine varieties distribution in the world.
http://www.oiv.int/public/medias/5336/infographie-focus-oiv-2017-new.pdf
Harindra Champa, W A. 2015. Pre and postharvest practices for quality improvement of table
grapes (Vitis vinifera L.). J. Natn. Sci. Foundation Sri Lanka, 43 (1): 3-9. DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/jnsfsr.v43i1.7921
Piva, C R; Garcia, J L P and Morgan, W. 20006. The ideal table grapes for Spanish market. Rev.
Bras. Frutic., Jaboticabal - SP, 28(2,): 258-261.
http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbf/v28n2/a23v28n2.pdf
Sharma, A K and Adsule, P G. 2014. Grape. In: Managing Postharvest Quality and Losses in
Horticultural Crops. Vol. 2. Eds.: K L Chadha and R K Pal. Astral International (P) Ltd.
New Delhi, pp 407-422.
Som, S; Jasna, V K; Burman, R R; Sangeetha, V and Sharma, J P. 2014. Ensuring Food Safety
in Grapes through Good Agricultural Practices. International Journal of Agriculture and
Food Science Technology, 5(3): 179-184.

View publication stats