Harvest situation in the Southern Hemisphere, week 38, 2011

Brazil is about to start grape exports this week while Peru's harvest will likely begin in early October, according to market researcher iQonsulting.

IQonsulting reports the Brazilian harvest began in week 36 (Sep. 9) with the Thompson Seedless and Festival varieties, while the country is expected to ship 56,440 metric tons (MT) this season.

Peru's grape harvest is set to start with the Red Globe variety during week 40 (Oct. 7) in the northern zones of Piura and Lambayeque, with a forecasted 42% rise in exports to 150,177MT.

Grape export forecasts for South Africa, Chile and Argentina haven't changed since iQonsulting's last report, but a three-day delay is expected for the Argentine crop.

iQonsulting/ edited by www.freshfruitportal