South African imports are currently coming to an end due to the dryness there and the supply of Indian grapes is declining. Chile has been on the market for four weeks and is expected to remain in focus until week 18. From week 19 on, the first Egyptian products are expected. “They will encounter an empty market,” says an importer. As a result, the wholesale distributors are already expecting a significantly higher price level than in the previous year, when the Egyptian grapes were launched later, but were supplemented with goods from India.
The surveyed trading companies are currently observing some trends in the grape business. On the one hand, the producers are trying to extend the season in all major growing areas: either by starting earlier or ending later. A good example are Indian grapes: until a few years ago they did not exist up until mid-March, but today the first quantities arrive in January.
In contrast to the producers in Chile, the South African farmers are open to modern varieties and are trying them out. In the area of red grapes, the large Jack's Salute is a relatively new variety, which is establishing itself on the market at a rapid pace. In the bright grapes area, the Arra 15 is grown more and more. In Chile, on the other hand, the usual Thomson and Crimson Seedless are mainly cultivated. The importance of grapes with seeds is still low, except for the Peruvian Red Globe variety. According to the specialists, however, this is currently relatively high-priced, as well as qualitatively below average. It is therefore likely to be phased out soon.