Dear Readers,
The situation in the vineyards in South Africa is still very promising, not to say optimum.
If nothing negative will happen in the weeks to come, we really foresee a very good crop.
Both in quality and quantity.
That is good news, we would say. The only thing what could bother us all, is the pricing.
As long as other exporting countries, like Turkey, who had a bumper crop, are prepared to sell at bottom-prices, in order to find buyers for volumes, it will be hard for South Africa to make the top.
(Please do not forget that the Lira in Turkey made a fall of almost 15/20 pct.)
Of course and Edwin has said that in the meeting with the farmers and in our last bulletin: South African golden raisins should not be compared with any other raisin. Not only for the taste but also for the texture, shape and brightness.
For the above reasons buyers are still prepared to pay a good and fair premium.
The only thing what can be done in the capacity as growers and packers is to use all our capability to stick to this bright radiation of the South African golden raisins
Of course that does not only apply for goldens but all the way also for dark type of raisins likeThompsons.
Here again we can say that Thompsons from South Africa should not be mentioned/compared in one sentence, with other origins.
Also here the taste and texture play a decisive role and we should do everything to keep up to this lead. Again, buyers, all over the world, are prepared to pay a fair premium for a specific good quality.
Unfortunately however and once again, raisin-prices worldwide, in general, are pretty low, to say the least.
Nevertheless our Thompsons, will surely find their way everywhere and what is more at a premium but again this year we have to be realistic and with our feet on the ground.
As promised we will add a graph of the Thompson raisins, showing the price from 2007 to 2016 as well.
