Sun World International, the US-based fresh fruit producer and marketer, has revealed that South African producers are rushing to meet growing demand on the European market with new plantings of the Sugrathirteen black, seedless grape variety, which is marketed under licence under the Midnight Beauty brand.
The Sugrathirteen variety was bred in the early 1990s by Sun World and has been introduced to international growers and marketers during the past decade.
In addition to South Africa, it is now produced under license by growers in America, Chile, Australia, Portugal, Italy and Mexico.
Exports of the branded grapes are expected to top one million 4.5kg cartons this season, making it the leading black seedless grape exported from South Africa, according to Sun World's vice-president of international licensing Johan Jooste.
Midnight Beauty-branded grapes are produced from late November until early March in all major growing districts of South Africa, including the early Transvaal and Orange River regions and throughout the Western Cape.
The South African fruit is available through four licensed Sun World export-marketers: Green Marketing International, Capespan Exports, Dole South Africa and The Grape Company.
Sun World operates one of the world’s largest table grape and stonefruit breeding programmes which, since its inception in the mid-1970s, has released more than 70 new varieties boasting improved flavour, size, colour, shelf-life and extended seasons.
In addition to production on its own properties in California, Sun World and its licensees grow these proprietary varieties in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe, South America, Israel and South Africa.
