The new South African table grape season has started and growers across the country’s table grape regions are hoping 2010 will turn out much better than the early expectations would seem to indicate.
The total South African crop is estimated at between 48m and 50m cartons, with an additional 3.5m cartons expected to be shipped by Namibian growers. “We expect a good crop, but nothing spectacular in terms of volume,” says Jaco Kruger from The Grape Company.
While there are early signs that confidence is returning to the world economy, South African growers are also realistic that this season may still be a very tough one.
In addition they have had to deal with a 30 per cent strengthening of the South African currency during the past few months, which will erode farm incomes further.
“We are confident that we will again be able to deliver on our quality promise,” says Elaine Alexander, SATI’s executive director. “It has been our long-term strategy to enhance South Africa’s position as the preferred supplier of table grapes around the world and we have made a lot of progress in recent years.”
Early indications suggest harvesting in the Orange River will again be one week later than normal, meaning the season there should be in full swing by mid-November. The crop is expected to be similar to last year, when close to 15m cartons were exported.
“We are quietly optimistic about the season,” says Pieter Karsten (Jnr), marketing director of the Karsten Group. “Harvesting will start in the Blouputs region, with Raap & Skraap of our Keboes Farming operations and Klein Pella in the Lower Orange River region following immediately afterwards.”
At the other end of the South African production spectrum, in the country’s latest producing region the Hex River Valley, the crop is estimated to be between 18.5m and 19m cartons this time around.
“The crop looks good, but we expect a tough year,” says Anton Viljoen, one of the region’s leading growers. “Due to production cost increases and the effect of the exchange rate, growers will battle to balance their books.”
A version of this article appears in the November/December 2009 issue of Eurofruit Magazine.
