The Grapa team have returned from a lightning visit to South Africa and Namibia.
With a packed schedule, the team visited ARRA™ growers and joined TopFruit’s ARRA field day. This week we take a look at the TopFruit field day held at Aussenkehr Namibia.
ARRA FIELD DAY: TOPFRUIT
The field day was very well-attended, attracting growers from both South Africa and Namibia. TopFruit arranged for a fleet of buses to transport the participants to visit the farms of Solar Grapes, Frontier Grapes, Namibian Grape Company, Cape Orchard Company and Silverlands Vineyards’ Hillside Farm.
ARRA 29
The growers in this region experienced very difficult weather conditions this spring. The unusually low temperatures at bloom caused shot berries in Early Sweet, Prime and ARRA 29. After manual intervention the final results are amazing.
The fourteen-month-old ARRA 29 block which was planted in sprint 2017 with cartonnage plants, produced lovely bunches with beautiful fire-coloured berries.
Pictured below, this first year of commercial production of ARRA 29 is very impressive. The stunning fire colour and great berry size are eye-catching and when you add the amazing eating quality you get the winning early red grape.
ARRA 15
After five years of commercial growing in South Africa and Namibia, this variety has come of age with the growers precisely following the protocols and reaching the highest level of professionalism.
ARRA 13
The South African Orange River is the home of this variety, especially in the Aussenkehr Valley as it is a rainless region with ideal weather for ARRA 13. It’s fertility and ease of growing make it a winning variety in Aussenkehr.
ARRA 30
The first ARRA 30 to be produced in Namibia; these fourteen-month-old vines have not yet reached their full potential, however, growers have seen the great promise of this early white variety that is fertile, sweet, crunchy and with no shot berries.
ARRA 14
The hot days and cool nights of the Aussenkehr, together with the cooperative and reliable characteristics of the ARRA 14 make it a famous early black variety along the Aussenkehr Valley.
And finally
A field day wouldn’t be complete without an evening of good food and great company.
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We have a crush on this intense cherry-colour variety with its large, elongated, berries. This mid-late variety that boasts excellent sugar-acid balance, cherry flavour and sensational crunch, delights in appearance, taste and eating experience. Proven to be fully rain resistant, the variety also has excellent fertility and exceptional storage ability. It is the ultimate long shipping variety with the best shelf life in the industry.
ARRA CHERRY CRUSH™ literally has it all!
In short: THE ULTIMATE RED.
This established early red variety boasts a beautiful, natural, full red colour. It’s large, crunchy berries offer a fantastic eating quality. Good productivity, extraordinary hanging ability, shipping durability and shelf life, make it a choice early red.
The earliest existing red variety in the market ripens naturally 4-5 days before Flame. The advantageous short cycle, natural full red colour, together with large, sweet, crunchy berries make this a perfect Flame replacement. ARRA Fire Kiss has proven to be very fertile and grower friendly, as well as bearing great post-harvest and shipping qualities.