According to Silvia Gandolfi, the coordinator of the Wine Program of the PyME-Adeneu Center, "the amount of land planted and of producers seeking to convert their production is on the rise."
One of the first symptoms of local growth was the arrival of the Lobesia Botrana plague, (which is similar to the carpocapsa in apples; Neuquen is free) that affected the production in the provinces of San Juan and Mendoza, which are the main producers of table grapes in the country. An important percentage of this production is sold, for example, in the Concentrator Market of Neuquen.
Since then, which was about four years ago, prices in Centenario, Plottier, and Neuquen started to increase. As a result, the number of producers also began to grow. When the cost of grapes increased they saw an opportunity for some of the best-known specialties.
Thus, the leading grape varieties in the area are the Red Globe and Moscatel varieties with seeds and the Alfonso Lavalle and Cardinal seedless grape varieties. The first two varieties have a greater conservation power if stored in cold storage, which increases their commercial value.
"Local producers are beginning to improve their production, they attend our Program, which is a necessary help so that they can improve, and some are even changing their initial horticultural production for table grapes," said Gandolfi.
The crops can yield 20 to 30 thousand kilos per hectare, depending on the variety, which can then be marketed 18-kilo boxes. This phenomenon started deepening in the province in the last two years, and around seven producers have already stated that it is a new opportunity for economic growth.
Source: inneuquen.info