Weeks ahead of the season’s first South African grape exports, South Africa’s table grape industry released a strong statement on Sept. 22. The indication is that its growers are ready for a much better season than the last.

“There were not enough spaces on ships to cover export capacity. Delays in the import of materials caused problems with costs and shortages, due to the increase in freight rates," said Agrokasa's Camila Borgesa.

"As an industry, we need to review where we are, where we are going, and how to get there. This means looking at exciting technological advances, new varieties, and how to protect company secrets, yet at the same time share best practices," said McClarty.

Researchers have found that the antioxidants in grapes can protect the brain against developing dementia by improving the function of neurons or nerve cells.

The figure of $1.92 billion means that imports during the first six months of each year have more than doubled over the last decade.

“The key aspect of this Committee is to create a strategy for the Chilean table grape sector to address both the challenges and the opportunities it faces,” said ASOEX.

Uvanova's Carolina Cruz and Martin Silva said: “We consider this season to be one of the worst, given that previous bad seasons - which saw water scarcity and rain during harvest - have had lasting effects.”

In the 2021-22 table grape season, countries in the Southern Hemisphere achieved a new export record of 1.5 million tons, an increase of 0.3 million tons in a decade.

Hazel Technologies, Inc. has announced a successful trial on California-grown table grapes, in conjunction with Oppy and Brar Farms.

A visit was recently made to the current facilities of a cold storage plant in the Pabellon sector in Tierra Amarilla, which will be refurbished to carry out quality control work.