Positive signs for a good campaign in South Africa’s Orange River region as the season begins
Growers in what is now South Africa’s biggest grape production region, the desert-like area along the Orange River, have started harvesting and the first shipments are expected to leave for UK and European markets at the end of the week.
The early expectations are that growers along the river will pack around 24.4mn cartons this year, which will be slightly more than last year.
Growers at Blouputs, below the Augrabies Fall, started their first pick today, while those lower down the river will begin later this week.
Meanwhile exporters have welcomed the announcement by shipping company MSC that it is launching a new service from southern Africa to Europe from the start of 2025.
The company is looking to support the northbound trade in table grapes, among other products.
The Eastern Cape Express Service will connect South Africa and Namibia to northern Europe from the first week of January, when the region’s grape export gets into full swing.
Growers in the Orange River have said they still prefer shipping their fruit through the port of Cape Town.
“This is much more cost effective for us, but the new service offer other options should there be delays in the port of Cape Town,” a source stated.
JC Folcher from the Karsten Group said the second port of choice would be Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth.
“I do not think growers in this region will make much use of Walvis Bay, because it is a longer road trip for us,” he explained.
“We hope all will go well in Cape Town and that wind and other delays will not affect our exports there.”
As in the past there will be increased shipments to Canada and the US, and in servicing these markets Cape Town will be extremely important.
Exporters also pointed out that from mid-January onwards the harvest in Namibia comes to an end.
After that the action will move to the Western Cape – and Walvis Bay will not be an option for fruit exports from there.
