The California Table Grape Commission is a state-created body that markets California fresh grapes, funds industry research, and represents growers before government agencies, financed by a mandatory assessment on every commercial shipment of fresh grapes leaving the state. It operates under California law with a 22-member board and oversight from the California Secretary of Food and Agriculture. Its work reaches an industry of roughly 120,000 acres in production and $720 million in annual exports.1USDA NASS. California Grape Acreage Report2California Department of Food and Agriculture. California Agricultural Exports 2024-2025
Statutory Basis
The commission is established under Chapter 3 of Part 2, Division 22 of the California Food and Agricultural Code, beginning at Section 65550.3California Legislative Information. California Food and Agricultural Code 65550 That chapter gives the commission specific authority to levy assessments on producers, conduct marketing campaigns, fund scientific research, and represent grower interests before state and federal agencies.
Who Sits on the Commission
The commission has 22 members: 21 fresh grape producers and one public member. California is split into seven grape-growing districts, and each district has three producer seats. All serve three-year terms, and the statute does not cap how many terms a commissioner may serve.
Producer members are appointed by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture from nominees chosen by growers in each district. The Secretary calls a meeting of producers in the district, takes nominations, then mails ballots to all producers in that district. Producers have 10 days to vote by mail, after which the Secretary appoints one of the top two nominees.4Justia. California Food and Agricultural Code – Article 3 The California Table Grape Commission – Sections 65550-65576
The public member cannot be a producer, shipper, or processor, and cannot hold a financial interest in any of those roles. The commission submits at least three names to the Secretary, who picks one. If the Secretary rejects the slate, the commission keeps submitting names until a selection is made.4Justia. California Food and Agricultural Code – Article 3 The California Table Grape Commission – Sections 65550-65576
The Grower Assessment
Every box, bag, and bulk shipment of fresh grapes leaving a California operation is assessed. The commission sets the per-pound rate for each marketing season, and the Secretary of Food and Agriculture must approve it. The rate is computed on net weight at the time of shipment.
As of January 1, 2026, the statutory ceiling on the assessment is $0.02 per pound. That cap was raised from roughly $0.0065 per pound by Assembly Bill 482, which took effect at the start of 2026.5California Legislative Information. California Food and Agricultural Code 65600 The actual rate the commission sets in any given season can be well below the ceiling. AB 482 also broadened the commission’s spending authority to include accepting and matching outside contributions, making contributions to other agencies, and administering any program related to the table grape industry.6California Legislative Information. AB 482 – California Table Grape Commission
Assessments are mandatory. Every commercial grower who ships fresh grapes during the marketing season owes them, and the commission may spend both assessment revenue and penalties collected from growers who fail to pay.6California Legislative Information. AB 482 – California Table Grape Commission
Who Is Exempt
Two carve-outs keep the assessment off the smallest sellers. A shipment of 150 pounds or less sold or shipped directly from producer to consumer is exempt.5California Legislative Information. California Food and Agricultural Code 65600 Separately, someone who makes only casual sales, or who sells grapes as a side activity rather than as part of a commercial farm business, can be omitted from the producer list entirely. A person omitted from the list owes no assessments and is not treated as a producer under the chapter.7California Legislative Information. California Food and Agricultural Code 65559.5
Where the Money Goes
Assessment revenue funds four main areas: marketing, research, industry advocacy, and education. The commission prepares an annual budget subject to review and approval by the Secretary of Food and Agriculture.
On the marketing side, the commission runs television, digital, and social advertising, works with retailers on in-store promotions and sampling, and collaborates with chefs and registered dietitians. Export promotion targets 21 international markets, with Canada and Mexico together accounting for roughly 62 percent of export value and Taiwan the next largest single-country destination at about 11 percent.8Growing Produce. Momentum Strong as California Table Grape Harvest Kicks Off
Research dollars go largely to pest and disease management, including biological controls and breeding for natural resistance, and to post-harvest work on temperature management, packaging, and handling that extends shelf life during long-distance shipping. Sustainable farming studies feed back into marketing claims used with grocery buyers.
The commission also runs a scholarship program for California table grape field workers and their families. For the 2026 academic year it offers a $14,500 Field Worker Bridge Scholarship for students starting at a California community college with plans to transfer to a four-year university, and a $25,000 Field Worker Scholarship for students enrolling directly at a four-year California university. Three awards are offered in each category, and eligibility requires that the applicant or a parent or legal guardian worked in a California table grape vineyard during the 2025 harvest or plans to work during the 2026 season.
The Industry It Serves
California table grape acreage was 120,000 acres in 2024, down from 127,000 two years earlier.1USDA NASS. California Grape Acreage Report Of that total, roughly 115,000 acres are bearing and about 5,000 are non-bearing young plantings. Export revenue reached $720 million in 2024, ranking the crop among the state’s top agricultural exports.2California Department of Food and Agriculture. California Agricultural Exports 2024-2025 The tripling of the statutory assessment ceiling under AB 482 gives the commission substantially more room to raise revenue, arriving alongside shrinking acreage and rising export competition from Chile and Peru.