Intakes are ahead of last year's figures, with the Orange River region harvest doubling to more than 3million cartons compared to last year. Rhomona Gounden from SATGI explained that this was largely down to new vineyards coming in to commercial production.
Northern Province Region will finish packing Prime and Flame Seedless this week, whilst packing peak volumes of Sugrathirteen and Black Gem. The first Redglobe is expected to be harvested towards the end of next week. The quality of the grapes is said to excellent.
In the Orange River region Sugrathirteen is also ready for harvest whilst the first Thompson Seedless will be packed in these areas towards the end of this week. The packing of Prime and Flame Seedless will also end in the Blouputs area this week with increasing volumes of Sugraone and Thompson Seedless to follow. In the late areas, Kanoneiland and Groblershoop, peak volumes of Prime will be packed towards the end of the week too. The weather here is very hot and quality is excellent.
Meanwhile in the Oliphants River region packing in the Trawal area increased last week, with packing in the Vredendal area expected to be in full swing towards the and of this week. Good quality Starlight, Prime and Flame Seedless is being packed.
Packing of Prime, Grapaes and Flame Seedless will commence in the Piketberg area of the Berg River Region this week, with the possibility of small volumes of Prime even being packed in the later areas.
Lastly in the Hex River Valley it is expected that the first Starlight and Prime will be packed in the region as early as next week.