Valley farmers see earlier grape harvest amid warm temperatures

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Teamwork makes the table grape harvest work in an Easton vineyard.

"You'll have one person inside the row, and they're harvesting and doing the clipping," says George Matoian with Mountain View Fruit Sales.

Matoian says the thick, ivory-green, seedless grapes are destined for stores across the US and Asia.

Crews have been dealing with very muggy conditions

"We prefer a hot, dry climate. Of course, not too high," Matoian said. "Usually, if it gets close to 100, we'll shorten the day."

Matoian says the harvest came about two to three weeks early this year.

"If everybody remembers, the month of March was the warmest we've ever had," he said. "That accelerated the crop, and we've had warm temperatures along the way."

Once the grapes are packed and placed on pallets, they are immediately chilled and prepped for shipping.

"We'll load it on a semi-reefer," Matoian said. "Once we get enough pallets, then we'll take it to the cold storage to start the pre-cooling process."

Grapes represent a billion-dollar crop in Fresno County.

For news updates, follow Dale Yurong on Facebook and Twitter.