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NEWS AT A GLANCE

16 | farmersweekly | 16 JANUARY 2015

ABOVE:From left:

Gavin Dittmar(managing

director ofMeridian WineMerchants),

Conrad Schutte(VinProsviticulture

consultant forthe Stellenbosch

region), andThys Louw

(chairperson ofthe SauvignonBlanc Interest

Group andwinemaker atDiemersdal inDurbanville).

DENENE ERASMUS

It is imperativethat confidence incommercial agriculture

be restored urgently, asSouth Africas politicaltensions could beexpected to continueand strengthen,according to ErnestPringle, Agri EasternCape president.

He told FarmersWeekly in an interviewthat the agriculturalsector, especially thecommercial sector,

was one of SouthAfricas rare successstories and a key to the

countrys survival.We will have to faceseveral other challengesas well, such as themining of shale gasthat will eventuallyhave an influence onmost of our farmingactivities, shouldit get the nod fromgovernment, he said.

Being an electionyear, 2014 had been

especially challenging,and politicianshad made several

wild suggestions.These, coupled withpoor decisions, hadcontributed to thedeterioration ininfrastructure andthe underminingof the economy,according to Pringle.

Luckily, commercialfarmers, in theabsence of droughtsand floods, managed

to overcome theseonslaughts. Im sure thepolitical onslaught will

continue and becomeeven more severe infuture, he said.

The agriculturalsector would have tomake every effort todefuse this by showinggovernment howsuccessful land reformcould be achievedwithout having toundermine or threatencommercial farming.

Pringle said thatland reform and aminimum wage for

farm workers werethe main issues thatthe agricultural sectorwould face this year.

Theres little doubtthat these two issuesform the core of theruling partys effortsto regain lost groundafter poor policydecisions cost them alot of votes, he said. Lourens Schoeman

GOVERNMENT

Restore confidence in commercial agriculture Pringle

Sauvignon Blanc was stillthe most popular choicefor local wine drinkers, butthe varietys consumptiongrowth was slowing down.

Sales at Meridian WineMerchants had shownthat the demand growthfor Sauvignon Blanc haddeclined, from around 14%per year in 2011 and 2012 toa projected 11% in 2014 and2015, according to GavinDittmar, the companysmanaging director.

He was speaking at therecent Sauvignon BlancInterest Group informationday in Franschhoek.

But despite thisdownward trend,Sauvignon Blanc wasstill outperforming allother wine varietiesin terms of growth.

Over the past year,weve seen overall salesgrowth for all wines of8,8%, with white winesales increasing by 10,1%and Sauvignon Blanc sales by 11%, Dittmar said.

South Africans showed astrong preference for fruity,tropical-style SauvignonBlanc wines, accordingto him. In addition,

local wine drinkerspreferred single-varietySauvignon Blanc wines toSauvignon Blanc blends.

Over the past fiveyears, consumer interestin Sauvignon Blanc-driven white wine blendsdecreased from a highof 17% of total sales inthe Sauvignon Blanccategory, to 12%, he said.

From a producerperspective, the trend ofincreasing productivityin wine grape farminghad been evident in thestrong preference shown byfarmers in recent years forvigorous rootstocks suchas Ramsey, and higher-yielding clones in newSauvignon Blanc plantings.

The ENTAV-INRAClone 905 had showngmuch progress, accordingto Conrad Schutte, Vinprosviticulture consultantfor the Stellenboschregion, speaking at theinformation day. ThisSauvignon Blanc clone

had been selected for itshigher tolerance to Botrytisand other bunch rots.Although it offersrelatively low yield due

WINE

Local wine drinkers stillprefer Sauvignon Blanc

to its small clusters and berries, the grapes producefull and well-balancedwines, with intense aromasand flavour, he said.

Local Sauvignon Blancplantings had increased by more than 20% between2002 and 2013, from7 600ha to 9 250ha. Thevariety was the third-most widely plantedof white wine grapesvariety in South Africaafter Chenin Blanc, whichhad a total vineyard areaof almost 18 000ha, and

Colombard, with roughly12 000ha, Schutte said.

Over the past decade,Sauvignon Blanc plantingshad increased in Robertson

and Stellenbosch, withplantings rising from1 000ha to 1 700haand 2 100ha to 2 750harespectively. However,despite the overall 10-yearincrease, plantings of thevariety had decreasedslightly in both regions in2011 and 2012, Schutte said.

There had also beena sharp decrease intotal planted hectaresof Sauvignon Blanc inthe Breedekloof andWorcester regions between 2007 and 2008.

In both these regions,plantings had decreasedfrom about 1 750ha tofewer than 1 000ha. Denene Erasmus