Dear Readers,
Meanwhile we started up the machinery, which means that we are
processing since a few days
Fortunately the rain, mentioned in our earlier report, was (so far –
repeat sofar) not a big hinder to allow farmers, during the past
days/weeks, to bring in their merchandise.
What we have seen and inspected from the new crop, until today, looks
good and is a lot better than the previous year.
Although one swallow does not make summer, we have reason enough to
believe in a fairly good crop.
However, however, until everything shall be under the roof, one can
never be sure for the full 100 percent but the omens are positive,
anyhow.
The next, much bigger problem will be how to bridge the difference in
prices with the competition from other countries.
Of course, quality is an important and basic factor but generally
speaking, low prices always remain an enormous obstacle.
Unfortunately we are living in a time where the price of a product is
dominating and almighty and it is no longer only the quality which
rules the world.
We notice that in all kind of markets.
Take the car-industry. Rolls Royce, Bentleys, Mercedes and some others
are expensive and they sell for instance in the 10 thousands of their
top-models.
Other cars are half the price or even less and you can sell millions of them.
In other words there will always be a market for first class
topquality products where buyers are prepared to pay a fair premium.
The bulk and majorities will always opt for cheaper and cheaper. It
means that markets will be split up in more than one category.
You can do nothing about it and henceforth we have to live with it.
As far as competition is concerned we can state that the prices of
Turkish raisins nr. 9, 10 and 11 are slowly but steadily getting
firmer and the Iranian crop is going to an end and they will focus
already on the new crop.
Where South Africa is the very first new crop in the land of raisins,
prices might go for the better in the coming weeks and months.
There might be two factors which can influence the market in the
coming weeks: in the first place, there is concnern about Australian
sultanas. According to the latest news Australia will produce about 20
to 25 percent less. If so, it is obvious that the market will react!!
The second factor is the warning of the USA towards Iran in case a
second ballistic missile should be fired. MEANWHILE THEY DID.
Should a new embargo towards Iran turn up, it could have great influence.
Unforunately we have to live with these factors nowadays. Not only
could a market react price-wise whether a crop turns out being bigger
or smaller but today and in the future, political issues could have
stronger influences than before.
Re: CROP
Rain and strong showers have delayed the crop intake sofar. How much rain and in what state it will influence the
crop-size is still at stake.
Anyhow: according to various farmers it will surely not be the
estimated crop of abt 70.000 tons but rather in the vacinity of 50.000
tons.