The restricted availability of containers is the leitmotif of the current table grape season.
Right: Crimson
While the recent unprecedented grape intake restrictions by cold stores had been loosened (days of rain delays brought some breathing space in the logistics chain), there is still a lot of pressure at cooling facilities and intake restrictions have been re-instated in the Hex River.
The Hexkoel facility in De Doorns will only take a thousand pallets, but there is space at cold stores outside the Hex River Valley and grapes will probably be moved there.
Exports to the European Union until end week 10 is up over last year and represents 54% of exports this year, the UK is down but still second largest recipient, followed by Canada, also slightly down.
Exports to the United States have risen to fill the demand created by Chile's rain damage: almost 750,000 cartons by end of week 10 compared to 480,000 cartons YTD in 2020.
The steri markets (like the USA, Israel, Vietnam, China) are under much pressure.
By the end of week ten, 59 million 4.5kg cartons were exported; the total export crop is estimated at between 67.2 million and 70.2 million (but the lower level of the estimate has already been passed). The 70 million carton threshold has long been in the grape industry's viewfinder.
Bumper grape crops
So far, the South African Table Grape Industry has confirmed that two regions have taken off record crops. The Northern region has exported 7.8 million 4.5 kg cartons, and in the Olifants River grape growers are ending their best grape season in years, well exceeding even the top end of the crop estimate for the region with 4.3 million 4.5kg.
The Berg River region's crop is narrowing the gap between its volumes and that of the Hex River region. By the end of week 10, intakes from both regions were over 18 million cartons, the Berg River approximately 400,000 cartons behind the Hex.
The Orange River's export crop of 18.3 million 4.5kg cartons was better than expected after rain during the harvest, a week into the new year.
A Kakamas packstore manager says the crop was 100,000 cartons down at their Northern Cape facilities. "It was an average season, it could've been more if it weren't for the rain, but the quality was good."