The new South African table grape season has started and growers in the Northern regions and the Orange River have started packing their new crop. The first small consignments of Flame Seedless, packed in the Groblersdal region in the north of the country, are expected to arrive in Europe next week.
Early predictions from SATI indicate a similar export crop compared to last year and it is expected that the total crop will again be just short of 50 million cartons. However, industry spokesmen points out that it is far too early to make firm predictions.
When Eurofruit Magazine visited growers in the Orange River and Northern regions last week, they were in a buoyant mood about the prospects for the coming season. At Groblersdal the first volumes of Flame Seedless had excellent colour and taste, while the first volumes of Early Sweet, an early white seedless grape which ripens before Prime, delivered grapes with excellent berry size and flavour.
The Groblersdal region, where 80% of the Northern regions grape crop of around 3 million cartons are grown, had good weather so far and growers that they will have a good season. In this region most of the grapes are grown under netting, with growers also taking extra precautions to cover vineyards with plastic to avoid any damage from rain which may occur during the summer.
The Northern growers will complete their harvest around Christmas.
In the Orange River the first volumes were packed at the beginning of week 45, with the Karsten Group reporting harvesting at three of its farms located along the Orange River. General Manager Piet du Plessis says the season has started at Klein Pella and Raap & Schraap along the lower end of the production region, as well as at Blouputs.
There is evidence that the Orange River will soon again resume growth in its total volumes after some years of stagnation. “It is no secret that the Orange River had some tough time recently,” says Peu Bezuidenhout of Rekopane Estates. “Growers have removed older varieties which have not been performing well and replaced them with tomorrow’s cultivars which are in demand in the market. At Rekopane we have replaced 42 hectares which will be coming into production soon.”
Near Augrabies large new areas are being prepared for new plantings. The harvesting and packing season in the Orange River will last till early February.
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