Robert Sahatjian and his family are a testament to the enduring operation of family farming in the San Joaquin Valley. A fourth-generation raisin producer and farm manager, Sahatjian, along with his siblings, father, aunt and uncle, currently operate Victor Packing. Established in 1963 by Sahatjian’s grandfather and great-uncle, the operation is vertically integrated, as they manage the production, processing, dehydration, shipment, and marketing of raisins.
While generational succession is integral to Victor Packing, Sahatjian also shared that the non-family employees are vital to the overall success of the operation. “It takes a village to make things operate and run smoothly on a daily basis,” said Sahatjian, “and when everyone takes their role seriously and pulls their weight, things run quite nicely.”
California was once heralded as the raisin capital of the world but now vies for the title with Turkey, its main competitor. Sahatjian said that California raisins still lead in superior quality, but producers in the United States “are highly scrutinized” for production methods.
“When it comes to food safety at Victor Packing, that’s our number one priority,” he said, “I believe our product is definitely safer, cleaner, and superior to any other foreign competitor, period.”
Victor Packing is adopting newer varieties of raisin grapes including dry on the vine (DOV) varieties. This relates back to their goal of producing a clean, safe product, as Sahatjian said DOV fruit never hits the ground.
The vertical integration of their family business ensures that the Sahatjians have control over “the farming side all the way to the point where it leaves our yard and is shipped off in a truck or a shipping container to go overseas,” he said.
To remain competitive in the market, Sahatjian emphasized the value of keeping up to date with new technologies, varieties, and mechanization. “We believe in the Selma Pete and dry on the vine fruit,” he said, and encourages the use of open gable trellises for the cultivation of a quality product.
With the future of family farming in mind, Sahatjian said that he and his family keep close contact with fellow raisin producers. By developing a strong relationship with producers, it offers the opportunity to learn from one another’s successes and failures. “We need to continue to stay united and help one another in order for our entire industry to succeed,” Sahatjian said.
Victor Packing, since its establishment over 60 years ago, has found enduring success because of unity between families and the industry. For Victor Packing and many other family farms like it, Sahatjian believes that such camaraderie will ensure the California raisin industry’s stability for generations.
“The big thing is, I just want to see [people] make a living farming and to succeed at it, and to see future generations continue to get involved in California agriculture,” he said. “It’s a way of life.”
Contributing Author:
Lauren McEwen
AgNet West Intern