Farmers, workers set to benefit from record table grape crop
WORKERS and farmers in the Western Cape’s table grape sector can expect to benefit from South Africa’s largest table grape crop on record after news that the crop estimate by the SA Table Grape Industry (Sati) will be exceeded by more than two million cartons.
Sati spokesperson Clayton Swart said: “This is the highest intake on record for the SA table grape industry. This is mainly due to the Berg River, which experienced exceptional yields and pack-outs, while the Hex River recovered very well from the rain earlier in their season. Three of the five table grape production regions are in the Western Cape, while nearly all the table grapes are exported via the Cape Town port, thus benefiting downstream industries too.
“So not only farmers, but workers will receive more secure incomes as the industry, which is based in rural areas, supports rural development and at the same time earns much-needed foreign currency for the country.”
According to Sati, another contributing factor to the record harvest, which has come despite global challenges around lockdowns, are the higher-yielding new-generation cultivars that came into full production.
In the provincial Department of Agriculture’s budget, MEC Ivan Meyer put the case for agriculture to lead the province’s economic recovery.
Meyer said: “The current pandemic has led to an increased demand for healthy foods around the world, which is causing further increased demands for fresh fruit and vegetables.
“The evidence seems to suggest that while consumers may not necessarily receive the price benefits of the impressive table grape harvest this year, it is good news for producers who are likely to benefit from higher outputs without it being accompanied by lower prices.”
Investment analyst Casey Delport said: “Last year proved to be a remarkable year for growth in the agricultural sector, notably occurring at a time when all other sectors in the economy experienced significant contractions because of the global Covid-19 pandemic.”