South African wine grape producers expect a more promising harvest for 2024, a positive shift from the lower yields of last year.
Also read: NDMC declares Western Cape September floods a national disaster
Etienne Terblanche, manager of Vinpro’s team of viticulture experts that release the harvest estimates alongside SAWIS, the industry body, says although the national area under vines is currently declining, with 89384 hectares (SAWIS 2022) under vines, the positive impact of climatic conditions leading up to the harvest outweighs the limiting factors.
‘The potential impact of load shedding will only become apparent closer to harvest time and is being closely monitored. If environmental conditions play out as predicted and producers adapt management practices accordingly, a good-quality harvest can be expected.’
According to Bizcommunity, the post-harvest period was characterised by cool and wet conditions, which provided relief during the recovery of the vines. Vineyard reserves had a good start in winter thanks to last year’s lower crop load, the early completion of harvest and sufficient water availability.
Low temperatures and above-average rainfall improved soil profiles and storage dams, particularly boosting dryland areas such as Cape Town and Swartland.
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Vineyards situated near riverbanks took the worst hit from the September floods, which resulted in difficult soil conditions, sludge sticking to leaves, increased humidity, and limited access to vineyards because of wet soil and downy mildew.
In early summer, moderate temperatures and below-average precipitation stimulated growth, and aided flowering and set for most cultivars. The set of late cultivars, including Cabernet Sauvignon, was limited by strong winds in coastal places like Stellenbosch.
‘The South African wine industry is in the midst of a repositioning phase to overcome various challenges on the one hand, but also to ensure sustainable growth and investment,’ says Rico Basson, CEO of South Africa Wine.
‘Measured against some of our competitors, our wine industry is excellently placed to overcome challenges and with a focused approach unlock value growth in the tourism, local and international markets which relieves financial pressure at farm level.’
Viticulturists and producer cellars will release the next crop estimate in January 2024.
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