A Victorian table grape grower has had to push back harvesting this season due to the weather - but has been pleased with the demand from customers, allowing for expansion, especially within the Japanese market.
Enrique Rossi from Budou Farms says production-wise, it has been another challenging year, and compared to a normal year picking is about 3-4 weeks delayed.
"Yield-wise it's variable within the same block, but most likely 15 per cent down on average," Mr Rossi said. "This is mostly due to the weather effect on the vine that also delayed the whole cycle, from a late budburst to a very delayed veraison. Usually, this time of the year we would be waiting for the last Brix to start harvesting, but now we are in early ripening. Quality-wise sizing has been good, as most likely the majority of the fruit will be in the large size side, but upon blocks, some fruit might have tight clusters."
La Nina really hit the Merbein region in Western Victoria hard this year, and Mr Rossi says there was a lot of rain in early spring with six cloudy days per week, plus strong winds, meaning many shoots broke due to the weight of water.
"Also, it was not warm enough at an early stage of growth slowing down the vines making them tender for too long,” he said. “This means that it has been really hard to find a window to do all the jobs that have to be done. So, this year we ended up simplifying the task to maximise the time."
He added that all input costs are higher and this particular year pesticides were in high demand so prices were up, as the weather affected all kinds of crops.
"Perhaps this has been the main increase in cost," Mr Rossi said. "On the other hand, water has been cheap, but the requirement of it is down due to rainfall. We try to use some systems on-farm to improve productivity as I think that is the only thing we can do if we want to be competitive."
After the borders opened following the COVID-19 lockdowns, buyers from different countries across Asia have been enquiring about fruit which, Mr Rossi explained, is a very good opportunity to diversify markets.
"Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia have been enquiring for fruit as well as China and Hong Kong," he said. "We also keep expanding in Japan reaching new outlets and also looking for new projects that will be launched next month. We are always open to new customers and we are creating new ways of packaging and new sub-products of our produce; there is always a new market within each market. When we started, we had many doors closed as we did a few things differently, for example, in Japan the way we pack and our weight was different. Today, talking with a big Company in Japan, they told us that there are people who've been doing the same thing for the last two years. So, we are ready to have a new format, not just because other people are now doing the same, but rather it's a view we have to improve and do better what we currently do - as the Japanese call it 'Ganbarimasu'."
Budou Farms also exhibited at Asia Fruit Logistica, and Mr Rossi says it was a very valuable experience, providing some valuable lessons and new contacts for the business in the region.
"We met a lot of people and we also learnt that the size of your operation is not as important, as our point of difference in quality and marketing, which really was mentioned across all people we met. It is required to dare to be different even if everyone thinks you're crazy. It was very gratifying to hear from many people who knew us and they expect our quality in the countries, seems all these years are finally rewarding. Creating a brand rather than just trying to sell volume and not shelter under other big brands, is the key if you want to stay in this game. However, there are risks and there is more work involved, it is a journey and we are glad to take this adventure, as after close to a decade we are seeing the results."
For more information
Enrique Rossi
Budou Farms
[email protected]
www.facebook.com/budoufarms