SÃO PAULO – The El Niño weather phenomenon is coming to an end, but its effects are still being felt, especially in the fields. Now, grape production is beginning to feel the impacts of the adverse weather conditions that occurred in the second half of 2015 and part of this year. In Chile, one of the world's largest grape producers, the 2015/2016 harvest will be smaller due to low temperatures, which hindered flowering, and then to rain, which favored the emergence of diseases.
The situation is so serious that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is already estimating a reduction of almost 13% in Chilean grape exports. The same scenario is being repeated here in Brazil. In Rio Grande do Sul alone, the country's largest grape producer, a 57% smaller harvest is estimated this year. With the reduction in domestic production and Chile being the main exporter of grapes to Brazil, the country's supply will be compromised in the coming months.
According to the Brazilian Wine Institute (Ibravin), table wine and grape juice are expected to be in short supply in the market from January 2017. This year, according to preliminary data from Ibravin, 302,2 million kilos of grapes will be harvested in Rio Grande do Sul, while in 2015 the harvest reached 702 million kilos. Today, Rio Grande do Sul is responsible for 90% of the national grape production, involving around 15 thousand producers and 40 thousand hectares.
Infomoney – 20/06/2016
