SATI STATISTICS OF TABLE GRAPES IN SOUTH AFRICA 2019

South Africa’s earliest table grape production region, the Northern Provinces, which was unaffected by the drought, started harvesting in week 44 under optimal harvest conditions for the first few weeks. It set a new record of 7,1 million cartons. This was driven by the availability of enough water and new hectares coming into full production. NORTHERN PROVINCES The Olifants River Region received normal rainfall during the 2018 winter together with a full dam, pointed to much better prospects for a return to a normal crop. An unseasonal shower of rain early in the season had a negative impact leading to a slower start to their harvest. In the end the vines in this smallest region, which was affected the most by the drought, has not recovered sufficiently. This led to the much lower than estimated harvest of 2,4 million cartons. OLIFANTS RIVER The Hex River Region had a good start, with a slightly delayed start in some parts of the region. Favourable weather conditions prevailed until week 10, when unseasonal rain caused a negative impact and a loss in crop. Some grapes did not reach the export carton. This contributed to a shorter tail end of the season. The intake reached 18,6 million cartons, 8.4% lower than the previous year. HEX RIVER

The Orange River region started harvesting two weeks later than usual. Packing started slowly under favourable weather conditions. An attractive raisin price led many producers to allocate more table grapes for dried grapes than initially estimated. In part this contributed to the region recording a crop marginally more than the previous year. ORANGE RIVER The Berg River Region also felt the effect of the drought. This together with sporadic rain during the harvest created some challenges in the vineyards. The colouring of some grapes was delayed. This region reached the lower limit of the crop estimate at 13,8 million cartons. However, it must be noted this region’s intake was still 5% better than the 2017/2018 season. BERG RIVER

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SATI STATISTICS 2019