Since arriving in Southern Africa, the late table grape variety Autumncrisp’s rising popularity has seen it close in on the number one spot in South Africa’s table grape industry.

The most recent data on new plantings in showed that Autumncrisp, or Sugrathirtyfive as it is officially named, was closely behind Crimson Seedless as the most planted variety.

While Autumncrisp plantings surveyed in 2024 increased by 12 per cent, Crimson Seedless declined by 9 per cent.

Sun World, owners of the Sugrathirtyfive variety and the Autumcrisp brand, said it had continued to gain traction as the leading mid-to-late season white seedless grape in South Africa and Namibia.

“It’s important to distinguish between the Sugrathirtyfive variety and fruit that meets the quality standards to be marketed under the Autumncrisp brand,” Sun World told Fruitnet.

”Only grapes that meet strict criteria for Brix, size, and appearance carry the brand name.”

In the recent most successful fruit branding initiatives, the owners go to great lengths in specifying criteria.

This is because there are regional variations in the performance of these branded varieties, which must be overcome to execute successful marketing.

Sun World said that while there were still regional variations in South Africa, largely due to variable growing conditions and adoption of new practices, there had been notable progress.

“New plantings of Sugrathirtyfive are increasing steadily, especially in the Western Cape, and Namibian-grown fruit has shown promising results in terms of quality and arrivals,” the company noted.

Sun World also said it was seeing steady growth in the use of the Autumncrisp brand by South African exporters.

“As brand recognition increases globally, more exporters are adopting branded packaging, which helps build consumer awareness and drive sales.”

The group’s global marketing campaign for the Autumncrisp brand, through in-store promotions, online advertising, events, social media, and retail activations, has helped accelerate consumer adoption.

“In South Africa, we’re working closely with our licensees to provide technical support for quality and to ensure brand compliance to maximise return on investment,” the company said.

Brand awareness work has been carried out in the US, and South African growers and exporters have said the market must play an important role in their future plans.

Sun World explained that a significant share of Sugrathirtyfive exports from South Africa were destined for North America, and that volumes continued to grow.

“During the 2023/24 season, approximately 12 per cent of the variety’s total exports from South Africa went to North America, although we don’t have a precise breakdown between the US and Canada,” the company said.

“This increase supports Sun World’s broader global brand strategy, which focuses on consistent, year-round availability of proprietary branded grapes in key international markets.

”The rise in exports from South Africa contributes to maintaining that continuity,” Sun World added.

Owners of the cultivar and brand will watch future developments in terms of tariffs between South Africa and the US with keen interest.

It is now the off-season, but by the time the new campaign starts in November this year, growers and exporters will hope that things will have settled down for them to continue growing sales in the US.

Reference Link, Fruitnet News