Smaller table grape crop forecasted
Due to the persistent drought in the Western Cape, the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) has released a lower estimate in the third Crop Estimate for the 2017/18 table grape season.
Couleur via pixabay
The upper and lower limits are respectively 12.2% and 18% lower than the previous 2016/2017 season. The new estimate is between 55.4 million and 59.3 million cartons.
The extreme heat and reduced water allocations to agriculture in the drought-stricken production regions are impacting the harvest.
South African producers and exporters expect harvesting to continue with close to normal export volumes for the next four to six weeks. However, they foresee a shorter harvest period compared to previous years due to the drought and hotter than usual temperatures. Producers are still committed to meet programmes and contracted business with a focus on the well-known South African quality offering and taste.