<p><strong>Reedley, CA-</strong><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<br/>12.4.12<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Bravante Produce, a California grower and shipper of table grapes, has the aspirations of expanding its growing operations under the Sunkist pilot program for grapes. Bravante has entered its second year with the program and provides table grapes for the Sunkist brand.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/8247053_600x338.jpg" alt="12/04/2012" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The company was a little light on production this year, selling just under 800,000 boxes this season. Bravante hopes to be shipping 2 million boxes of grapes in the next five years, Ron Wikum, Table Grape Category Manager for Bravante, tells AndNowUKnow. Bravante is a Class B cooperative on the grape side and Class A in citrus.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/Bravante.jpg" alt="12/04/2012" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Mr. Wikum, states, "Right now we are a cooperative member trying to buy more vineyards. We are looking for more grapes to grow and for us to get significant growth we are going to need to increase production." Sunkist handles the marketing aspect of the program while Mr. Wikum and his staff still handle the selling. Currently, Bravante provides approximately twelve to thirteen California table grape varieties.</br/></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Mr. Wikum notes that Bravante likes the customer access and brand recognition with Sunkist. Sunkist's programs helps Bravante expand on the export base and it enhances the program and returns. "For us, we see tremendous value and hope over the coming years to build a bigger and better relationship with Sunkist," he states.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.sunkist.com/products/grapes.aspx" target="_new"> Sunkist </a><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.bravanteproduce.com" target="_new"> Bravante Produce</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
