Although South Africa’s 2022 wine grape crop estimate, at 1.37-million tonnes, is 5.5% smaller than in 2021, it is still larger than the five-year average of 1.34-million tonnes, says industry body Vinpro.
The smaller wine grape crop this year can be attributed to a decline in the overall vineyard area, owing to the uprooting of vineyards, disease pressure caused by untimely rainfall just before or during harvest time and isolated cases of sunburn during heat waves in certain areas.
Vinpro notes that the 2022 season will still provide consumers with exceptional quality wines, albeit from a slightly smaller grape crop.
“A cool season and moderate weather conditions in most regions during harvest time slowed down ripening, which gave vines the opportunity to develop stunning flavour and colour in this year’s wine grape crop,” explains Vinpro consultation service manager Conrad Schutte, adding that the harvest time was delayed on average by 10 to 14 days.
Wine production for 2022, including juice and concentrate for non-alcoholic purposes, is expected to amount to 1.07-million litres, at an average recovery of 778 ℓ/t of grapes.
Meanwhile, Vinpro says wine producers’ profitability remains under significant pressure owing to the sharp increase in input costs in recent months, while consumer spending and wine prices remain low.
For example, grape producers’ input costs have increased by an average 7% every year over the last decade. In 2022, a 14% increase at farm-level input costs is expected, owing to a global exponential rise in energy, chemical and fertiliser prices.
Vinpro MD Rico Basson says shipping and packaging costs have also “gone through the roof” owing to global infrastructure and shipping constraints.
Although global and local sales volumes recovered to pre-Covid levels, the industry still carries excess stock of about 200-million litres. Average price increases for grapes and wine are, therefore, expected to remain below the…
