With table grape harvesting completed in the Bushveld area of South Africa, grapes from the Orange River region have been 95% picked, according to Piet du Plessis of Karsten Boerdery and chair of the Orange River’s Growers Association. Growers are satisfied by a probable 20 million carton volume, exceeding the South African Table Grape Growers Industry (SATI) high-end estimate of 19.2, but since harvesting is still underway in the Hex River region, traditionally the origin of most of SA’s table grapes, it’s premature to predict whether the Orange River region has overtaken as top producer. “The Hex River region has in the past produced more than 20 million cartons, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”
“We are a bit worried about the condition in which the grapes are going to reach the market. Rains during harvest-time have led to minor quality issues like the splitting of fruit, affecting the physical shape of the grapes. The taste and sugar levels are good,” Du Plessis says.
In the vineyards of the Olifants River district of the southwestern Cape, harvesting is around 60% complete and growers are quite satisfied with most cultivars. The SATI estimate of 4.2 million cartons for the 2016/17 season will probably not be reached, but volumes might be around 3.7 to 3.8 million 4.5 kg-equivalent cartons, reckons Nico Greeff, chair of the Olifants River Growers Association.
This is the smallest of South Africa’s table grape growing areas where farmers have to contend with water restrictions exacerbated by regular breaks of irrigation canals transporting water from the Clanwilliam Dam (currently just over half full). In 2015 such an incident was estimated to have cost the local agricultural industry R100 million (almost €7 million) and a recent canal break again left farmers without water for six days during the hottest period of the year. Fortunately, water access should be back to 100% by next week and the provincial agriculture department has prioritised maintenance and upgrade of the dam.
Because of the region’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, it receives afternoon sea breezes which decrease temperatures by 10°C from the morning highs of 30-35°C, and this retards the colouring of grapes. This is a problem particularly encountered with Flame Seedless, Greeff says, but spraying with Ethephon, a growth regulator, takes effect after four to five days. Growers are very meticulous about the levels of ethylene still present in the crop and measure the parts per million in order to comply with exporting standards.
He goes on to say that the Sugraone cultivar was disappointing this season, but it makes up only a fraction of Olifants River plantings. Growers in this area concentrate on red and black seedless, complemented with a bit of Red Globe.
Ninety-five percent of their harvest goes for export, with a mere 5% for the domestic market. “Local consumers don’t want to pay very much for grapes, except at high-end retailers. Our average production cost is now R70 per 4.5kg carton. Labour costs have a very large influence on that cost, as well as electricity. For the local market, we set aside grapes from all our cultivars, grapes with loose bunches, or small fruit, or small blemishes.”
