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Cape Town – This year's harvest of table grapes does not show a huge increase, but rather reflects a return to normal berry and bunch development coupled with new generation varieties that provide a better yield and pack out.
The SA Table Grape Industry (Sati) released the second crop estimate for the 2016/17 table grape season with a normal crop still on the cards, in line with the original 11 November 2016 estimate of between 61 1 million and 63 million cartons.
The Northern Provinces region has completed harvesting and ended within the first crop estimate on 5 3 million cartons. They received normal summer rain towards the end of the harvest, which did not have a big impact on the intakes.
Despite a slower start to the season the Orange River region, one of the largest table grape production regions, is now expected to pack 20.3 million cartons, thereby slightly exceeding the first crop estimate.
The Olifants River region has packed more than half of its harvest and is expected to end within the lower range of the estimate at 4.2 million cartons.
Harvesting in the Berg River and Hex River regions, which experienced good weather, is currently in full swing. It is expected that these regions will end in line with the first crop estimate.
This second estimate was reached by taking into account the experience and observations of a group of industry experts and the latest intake data.
Despite the relatively drier conditions leading up to the harvest it has developed very well with the indication that we are heading for the upper limit of 63 million cartons, which could be marginally exceeded by 1.3% compared to the first crop estimate.
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