While the crop was slightly down on the forecast, Namibia’s table grape season has finished on a high.
Namibia’s table grape growers have said that they are ending the 2024/25 season on a high, with market returns being ”the best experienced yet”.
It is expected that the total harvest will be around 12mn 4.5kg cartons when final export figures are confirmed.
Pre-season forecasts indicated a similar crop to last year, and generally growers experienced excellent conditions for their main varieties.
Exporters said grapes were delivered into markets much quicker than last year, resulting in regular deliveries throughout the season.
It was perhaps also one of the best planned logistics seasons, with significant exports for the first time through Walvis Bay, and an express shipping service included by MSC in its service between Southern Africa and Europe.
Shipments through Walvis Bay relieved pressure on the port of Cape Town which also handled a significant number of containers from Namibia.
Logistics company GoGlobal said it used both the Walvis Bay and Cape Town shipping options for its container shipments from Namibia.
“We had a very successful logistics season for our customers in Namibia,” said Delena Engelbrecht, GoGlobal CEO.
There has been great interest in new early season varieties, particularly the Arra range, in the country.
“Arra Honey Pop is now confirmed as a strongly growing early new generation white grape, enabling the producers and marketers to service the early season market with better white grape varieties,” said Andre Agenbag, Topfruit’s table grape expert dealing with the Namibian and South African Orange River regions.
Other promising varieties launched under the ‘Arra Red Factor’ strategy were Arra Fire Crunch and Arra Cherry Crush.
“Fire Crunch has really impressed all and Cherry Crunch, a little bit later also did well,” added Agenbag.
