Namibian grape harvest shaping up well
Andre Vermaak Managing Director Silverlands Vineyards Namibia, said that with the moderate climate and good growing conditions, the company is not expecting any issues this season. The growing milestones have been on track so far, the grapes were budding and ready in August, and we are now in the flowering stage, which seems to indicate a smooth harvest.
The grape growing area in Namibia has been expanding in recent years.
Why Namibia over South Africa?
According to Andre, Namibia is a better place to grow grapes due to the good weather conditions. Namibia receives its rainfall during the winter, from May to August, when the plants are in dormancy. They have never had any more than 2mm of rain in the last 4 years. In South Africa however, the rainy season is during the summer which means there is a greater chance of rainfall or hail, which can put the crops at risk during the growing and harvest season.
Vermaak is hoping that this year is better than last year in term of exports. He said that the first step is always to examine where the supply is coming from, if it is a normal season and what is the demand. He first looks at Europe; Spain, Greece, and Italy, and then turns his attention to Brazil.
"At this stage, it does appear that there is less supply coming out of Brazil in comparison to last year due to heavy rainfall. It is a normal season this year for Spain, Greece and Italy with a normal crop, finishing at the regular time. The window of demand for Namibian grapes should open at the right time, so we are positive. Everyone was afraid that there wasn't going to be enough supply last year, which had exporters turning to Brazil. This led to an oversupply when 8 million cartons from South Africa and Namibia were on their way. I am expecting everything to be managed better this year."