Market Report on Raisin Growing Conditions in South Africa, 03.2023
The weather conditions in South Africa have been ideal for producing raisins, with only a few brief rain showers that have not impacted farmers' operations. While other parts of South Africa experienced heavy rainfall that filled reservoirs along the Orange River, the raisin-producing region of the Northern Cape remained dry.
The recent flood did not cause damage to the 2023 South African raisin crop, as the crop along the Orange River had already been harvested due to the early ripening of the fruit. At the end of week 9, the raisin crop estimate by Raisins SA was 42011 mt, compared to 29365 mt in 2022 and 36420 mt in 2021. Despite the high numbers, the raisins have already been harvested, dried, and delivered to processors.
The estimate for the whole of South Africa's 2023 crop by Raisins SA remains at 66,100 MT, with the volumes of deliveries from farms along the Orange River expected to drop dramatically from week 10.
In the Western Cape, the region around Vredendal is producing a good crop of raisins, with an estimated 10,940 mt to be delivered by farmers. The product consists of Thompson medium, flame medium, jumbos, and currants, with no golden raisins produced in this region.
The Raisins SA delivery statistics for end week 9 shows that golden raisins delivered to processors were 10,555 mt. Processors have received 20,474 mt of Thompson medium raisins at the end of week 9, and it is expected that there will be a further 3,500 mt of Thompson medium coming in from Western Cape, giving South Africa a total supply of 24,000 mt for 2023.