"We're talking of the coldest temperatures the Loskop Valley has seen over the past 27 years," says Jovann Somers, Roslé Boerdery's blueberry production manager, "and not only here but deep into Limpopo and into Zimbabwe."
Black frost during July damaged 60 to 70% of the earliest cultivars on their 100ha of blueberries near Groblersdal, Somers says, and that in blocks expressly planted to be free of frost risk.
He remarks that this cold spell lasted particularly long and was exceptionally intense. And when temperatures go below a certain point – and temperatures dropped as low as -8°C in some parts of Limpopo – there is no mechanism that can manage frost risk.
South Africa's blueberry season will be running significantly longer than usual, which is not necessarily a good thing because later fruit takes South Africa that much closer to Peru's window. "On later cultivars we were set back at least four to five weeks."
BerriesZA sets the 2024 export estimate for their membership at 23,000 tonnes, losing between 2,000 and 3,000 tonnes of blueberries during the cold.
Somers continues: "On the one hand we lost a lot of volume, because of the cold, in an early window where prices were excellent, and on the other, late flowering occurred also as a result of the cold and it again pushes our window further towards the period when we're competing with Peru."
The export market – Roslé will continue exports until the end of November – is very strong and the loss of early fruit is a pity, but current fruit are obtaining very good prices, he says. "It is a very strong market at the moment, we really have nothing to complain about regarding prices."
Peruvian blueberries are between five to seven weeks later, too, as a consequence of the higher temperatures of the El Niño effect and consequently a later pruning. Peru's peak has moved on by about a month, Somers remarks, "and that's why we're seeing these high prices."
Over the past few years Roslé freshened up their blueberry varieties. They spread its marketing between themselves, Pure Legacy, Rainbow Export and Core Fruit which is sole licensee of Sekoya Pop berries.
Domestically they supply blueberries to the municipal markets where prices have been on a downturn as Western Cape blueberry farms start harvesting.
For more information:
Jovann Somers
Roslé Boerdery
Tel: +27 13 170 5335
Email: [email protected]
https://www.rosle.co.za/