PUBLISHER: Fresh Plaza (www.freshplaza.com)
Despite some initial concerns about quality due to adverse weather conditions in many production countries, grape cultivations in Spain and India seem to be relatively unaffected, whereas Italy has seen some of the feared damage. In other countries, primarily North America and South Africa, it is the ongoing logistical issues, and the high costs associated with them, that are causing problems.
Netherlands: European grapes make way for overseas
European grapes are making way for overseas produce on the Dutch grape market. The overseas season traditionally starts with the Brazilian grapes and Peru too is now bringing all varieties onto the market. The Greek season is over and, according to an importer, the supply of Italian grapes is also declining rapidly. The Italian season was not bad in terms of quality, but the numbers were significantly lower due to the warm weather and sales lagged behind those of previous years. The South African grape harvest is expected to be in line with the previous season. India has good climatic conditions and expects good yields. “Hopefully this will also lead to acceptable pricing and not too much pressure on the market,” the importer concludes.