NZ: Grape harvest down 23%
NZ: Grape harvest down 23%
Jun 18, 2012 6
(Stuff) - The volume of grapes harvested in Marlborough this year was down almost one quarter on the 2011 crop.
However Marlborough wine industry leaders say after four years of oversupply the lower yields will help spur its recovery.
The New Zealand Winegrowers 2012 Vintage Survey showed 188,649 tonnes of grapes was harvested in Marlborough this year, down 56,244 tonnes from last year's 244,893 tonnes, or 23 per cent. National volumes were down 18 per cent from the record harvest in 2011 of 328,000 tonnes to 269,000 tonnes in 2012.
Saint Clair Family Estate owner Neal Ibbotson said the lower yields would result in some continued short-term pain for growers and wineries, but the industry's outlook was rosy, looking towards the 2013 vintage.
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