Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
Winemakers note the low quality of newly harvested grape
Ukrainian winemakers note the low quality of newly harvested grape because of unfavorable weather conditions observed this year for this crop production.
In particular, as Vladimir Voyevodin, the Deputy President of "Sadvinprom" concern, informed, the newly harvested grape is characterized by low degree of sugar content, large percent of grape spoiled by rot and other deceases. He said that at the present moment the average sugar content in grape throughout Ukraine is 16% (in 2003 it was 18%).
Besides this, the winemakers are expecting that grape harvest to decrease on 30% in comparison with 2003 - up to 200-220,000 tons.
The representatives of the association "Orchardists, Winegrowers and Winemakers of Ukraine" note that because of great night and day temperature drops and large rainfall amounts in the current year the favorable conditions for development of grape fungus diseases were created. To the association experts' opinion, harvest losses for this crop are more than 60% in the current year.
The market experts think that this year grape harvest can be mainly used for production of the dessert and fortified wines, but can't be used for dry wines.
As to the information of the market players, the situation in this industry is deteriorating because of high excises on wine commodities. They observe that some plants give up production of dessert and fortified wines because of high excises and some winemakers stop fully their activities because of that.
The experts also consider that prices on the commodities produced on this year harvest may grow on 30-40% because of the higher prices for grape typical for this year as well as increase of the excises.