Rolling blackouts are causing major problems for the wine industry as its crucial harvest season is underway, causing costs to balloon and endangering crops and jobs.
South Africa’s industry ranks eighth in the world, according to 2021 data from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine.
It contributes more than R55-billion to gross domestic product and employs close to 269,000 people.
The industry has been hit by Covid-19 and fuel prices. Now the main challenge is rolling blackouts, which affects irrigation, cooling, fermentation, bottling and labelling.
Now, during harvest season, people in the industry are feeling especially anxious.
Klein Goederust Boutique Winery
The difficulties caused by power cuts have increased in harvest time, says Paul Siguqa, owner of the Klein Goederust Boutique Winery in Franschhoek.
In January, February or March, grapes reach optimal ripeness. That’s when it’s time to pick them and, if you don’t, they will rot.
Problems start with grapes needing to be placed in cold rooms, which need electricity.
“So now the cold rooms are not working. It’s a high risk to the quality of the wine,” Siguqa says. If grapes are not cooled, fermentation might not take place properly.
“If fermentation doesn’t properly happen, the whole crop goes to waste. And we’re talking about tonnes and tonnes of grapes,” he says.
Rolling blackouts also affects irrigation, important in the summer heat. Full irrigation cycles cannot be completed.
Siguqa’s biggest problem with rolling blackouts are their unpredictability, making it difficult to figure out a production schedule.
He estimates that rolling blackouts have cost his winery R400,000 in the past three months, and predicts losses will be worse during harvest season.
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