While the rain has had an impact on their early grapes, Modderdrift Boerdery in the Western Cape’s Hex River Valley is currently packing later grape varieties – Arra29 (right) and Sable Seedless; next week the mid-season varieties like Sweet Celebration and Ivory will start - that have not been affected by the rain.
“At the moment we’re actually quite satisfied with the grapes, their colour is looking very good, as do the berry sizes. It’s only that the early crop has been a bit lighter,” says Jacques Beukes, Modderdrift director for marketing and logistics.
In the middle and lower parts of the Hex River Valley they have escaped the brunt of last month’s unexpected hail, to their grand relief.
“We’ve been packing fruit from our Hex River vineyards since 12 December, which was seven or eight days earlier than usual.”
By next week the entire Hex River Valley will be packing full steam.
“The trend we’ve seen so far this season is that the harvest in the Orange River Valley is down by around 15 to 25% on early varieties. The situation will hopefully look different on the middle and late varieties.”
Sable Seedless ready to be harvested in the Hex River Valley (photos supplied by Modderdrift)
First Modderdrift grapes for the UK arrive this weekend
Modderdrift procures no grapes from the Orange River Valley, only from their own farms in the Hex River Valley and Brandwacht area, of which 90% is marketed directly by themselves to mostly UK retail; Modderdrift is one of Asda’s main grape supplier this time of the season.
Their first grapes will be arriving in the United Kingdom this coming weekend.
“We also send a bit to Europe, a bit to Canada, limited volumes to the Far East,” he says.
Modderdrift's Brandwacht Farm near Worcester, in the Breede River Valley
They’ve sent their first grapes to the Maldives in the Indian Ocean this year, around ten pallets at a time flown out from Cape Town via Dubai, but Jacques notes that the air freight cost is a considerable outlay, coming to almost US$2 a kilogram.
For the moment, port operations running more smoothly 
Their model of directly marketing their own grapes is a benefit.
“That is the picture of sustainability at the end of the day, I believe. There’s no space in the grape sector for more players entering the chain."
He continues: "I see it happening more in future that grape producers will work together to supply supermarket programmes in order to ensure continuity of the required volumes.”
At Cape Town’s port shipments are flowing more smoothly than last year, keeping in mind that the Cape’s infamous Southeaster wind always blows this time of the year.
For more information:
Jacques Beukes
Modderdrift
Tel: +27 23 354 8740
Email: [email protected]
https://modderdrift.co.za/
