According to Raisins South Africa’s first official crop forecast for 2024/25, raisin production was expected to increase from 96 000t in the previous season to 104 000t.
This would provide a marketable crop of 93 000t, if favourable weather conditions prevailed during the harvest and drying period from January to April.
From January to October 2024, exports reached 71 000t, which the organisation anticipated would result in no carryover stock going into the next marketing season.
Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, Gog van der Colff, who farms in the Northern Cape, which accounts for roughly 85% of production, said that last season’s harvest was a record for the industry, with this season’s harvest pointing in the same direction. The quality of the crop was also looking good.
He added that raisin producers had been struggling financially for the past three years because of unfavourable climatic conditions and high input costs. The coming season, however, promised to bring some relief.
Gabriël Viljoen, chair of the Orange River Producers’ Association (Orpa), said that the market outlook was also looking favourable, as production in Turkey was down by roughly 40%.
“We expect prices to be about R10/kg better than last year.”
