Drought-ravaged Western Cape braces for smallest grape harvest since 2005
The South African wine industry, which is reeling because of the severe drought in the Western Cape, is bracing itself for what might be the smallest harvest in more than a decade.The South African wine industry is the ninth-largest producer of wine in the world and contributes 4% to global production. SA exports 440-million litres of wine annually and sells 400-million litres locally.According to a recent survey by the SA Wine Industry Information and Systems, wineries and viticulturists are predicting a much smaller 2018 crop compared with 2017, which could possibly be the smallest since 2005.Wine industry body VinPro said at the weekend that drought, a shrinking area under vines and frost damage would have the greatest effect on the crop size.VinPro said seasonal employment opportunities would be cut significantly due to the smaller harvest, which would have a negative effect on the socioeconomic conditions of wine industry communities.VinPro’s consultation service manager, Franc...
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