Grape supplies from South Africa are in full swing and senders are making the most of a strong market in the run-up to Christmas, although fortunes are likely to change in the New Year.
One industry insider said: “The situation is better now than a few weeks ago, when some producers were struggling to get the sugars or the colour they needed, but there shouldn’t be any problems now getting all the fruit that is needed on the shelves.”
Last month, an abrupt end to supplies from Brazil led importers to turn to South Africa earlier than usual for airfreight volumes. The insider said: “Everyone is working seafreight now, but a lot has already come by air. We all knew the price would be coming down in the New Year, so I think everyone has wanted to get what volume they can in before Christmas.”
First signs are that prices are already starting to ease back in both the US and continental European markets, which is an indicator that there is good availability of fruit in the marketplace in general.
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