South Africa’s grape growers are aiming to rebound after last year’s reduced harvest by pitching rebranded and competitively priced sultanas to the UK market.
Almost 80% of this year’s output has been deemed “choice grade” or the highest quality crop, according to South Africa’s producers, who want to send some of their “highest quality” sultanas to the UK, where industry body Raisins South Africa sees growing demand.
The “rebranded SA Sultana variety” offered “excellent value for money”, according to Raisins South Africa, which represents growers in what is the world’s fifth biggest raisin production region in the world, with 80% of its output sent overseas.
Currants, raisins and sultanas are produced in South Africa in the early part of the year, when 10-plus hours of sunshine a day and temperatures of up to 38 degrees quickly shrivel the newly-harvested grapes. Sultanas make up around 10% of South Africa’s dried grape output, according to the US Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS).
South African raisin crop projections down 15% after extreme rainfall
But unseasonal downpours early last year caused an estimated 20% drop in production, according to the FAS. It expects output to recover to normal levels ahead of next year’s harvest and drying season, and as wine grape growers divert some crop due to the pandemic eating into demand for wine.
It comes after Raisins South Africa last year ran a UK-focused campaign aimed at dispelling what it said were “misconceptions around raisins” and to promote their health benefits. It describes raisins as a ”natural powerhouse” packed full of nutrients, such as fibre, iron, calcium and antioxidants.
Germany is the leading buyer of South African raisins, while the UK, which in 2020 sourced almost 9% of its raisins from South Africa, is fourth.
