Dear Readers,
South African Raisins:
At this time of the year the first small bunches appear on the “stokkies”in the Northern Cape.
No doubt, it is far too early to say something serious about thie upcoming crop.
Shall it be normal, shall it be poor or very good. We all do not know!!
Unfortunately mankind can do a lot about it but monther nature is the one to decide finally.
By the way: last years crop was good for abt 64.000 tons.
We get the impression that more land is getting under cultivation for grapes and that could mean this year, (provided everything goes well) that it should give an increase of 2/3000 tons.
In a later stage we will come back on the South African crop
With only 60.000 tons (roughly) against two times 300.000 tons (normally form Turkey and California), the total crop of South Africa is of minor importance in comparison with the two bigger suppliers. We speak only now about quantity!. Quality is another item.
Of course we should not forget China, India, Iran, Chile and others but it shows that the important players influence the market and price at the most.
This year however there shall be an important smaller crop in the USA. A foreseen smaller crop to start with anyway because of an ongoing change of programm to plant almond-trees instead of raisins because of the higher pricing.
Apart from the above, everybody knew already, a long timer ago, that there were less bunches to the sticks than in a normal year, causing roughly a smaller crop (about 10/15 percent in comparison with last year).
On top of that and may be caused by hurricane Irma, California has been suffering, last week, under an awful shower of rainfall just in the period that a great number of grapes was drying on the fields.
This will surely have its set-back on the final crop. In quality and in quantity.
These are the reasons that prices, specially for Thompsons, were rising and will surely have its impact on other qualities as well.
Hope to see you at the ANUGA.
Later more