In this edition of the Grapa Newsletter, we bring you exciting updates on the ARRA Mystic Dream™ harvest in Australia, as well as a sneak peek of Brazil right before the season kicks off. We also give you a glimpse of the Grapa team members who will be speaking at the upcoming Global Grape Congress, sharing their valuable insights and experiences with industry counterparts.
Mainly loved for its berry size, full colour and good eating quality, ARRA Mystic Dream™, is a late, extremely fertile black variety carrying large oval berries, sweetness and juiciness along with a delightful meaty texture.
Not to be overlooked, ARRA Mystic Dream has a fantastic shelf life. Fresh produce traders know how important it is to have a product that can hold well during transport and then on the supermarket shelves.

In Sunraysia, Alpha Fresh Australia just finished picking and packing ARRA Mystic Dream™ and we would like to convey to our readers the excellent results of these young vines.

From vine to bag

Our ARRA Mystic Dream is in its first year of production and has proven to be a resilient variety in a year of extreme threat of disease during the spring. It is an excellent variety and shows great ability to stay on the vines. The vines are merely 18 months old and they yielded a very substantial crop this first-year production”

ARRA Mystic Dream freshly packed

Upcoming first semester sneak peek

The start of the ARRA season in Brazil is imminent and the Grapa Brazilian Team has been working tirelessly to support the growers. With their vast experience and knowledge, the team has been providing valuable assistance to ensure a successful and bountiful harvest.
Happy Grapa Brazil Team and Aristides Santos from Santa Felicidade farm

Augusto Prado, Grapa Brazil President, provides an update on the commencement of the Brazilian season: “Following two extremely challenging harvests during 2022, where we experienced completely adverse weather conditions with well above average rainfall, we have commenced the 2023 season with favourable weather and minimal rainfall”.

Brazilian ARRA Sweeties™ ready for the market
Augusto positively concludes: ‘We are currently witnessing excellent prospects for a high-quality and productive crop in the field, with the ARRA varieties displaying high potential. The quality of the grapes is impressive, characterized by high Brix levels and a perfectly balanced sugar/acid ratio, which guarantees success due to the rich flavor profile.”

Stay tuned to see how the ARRA Brazil season will unfold!

Lucentlands podcast 
Grapa takes pride in collaborating with the Lucentlands team for the production of features that highlight the ARRA varieties. Lucentlands is an expert agricultural media production company based in South Africa that specializes in offering exceptional content creation services for the agricultural sector.
Topfruit’s Managing Director, Rob Meihuizen and COO Hein Coetzee, the territorial agent for the ARRA™ varieties and Early Sweet™ in Southern Africa, share their insights on the fruit industry in this latest Lucentlands podcast production. They highlight the significance of branding and marketing in expanding market share for fruit varieties in retail settings.

This podcast is indeed a valuable resource for anyone interested in the fruit industry and its future prospects.

Click here to enjoy the podcast

On March 28th, the virtual Global Grape Congress will be live from Melbourne and London. Using a combination of talks, interviews, and discussions, the Global Grape Congress delves into all aspects of the business, including the creation of new grape varieties, the implementation of new technologies, and the exploration of new markets.

Don’t miss out on the chance to join Grapa at the Global Grape Congress 2023.

Uzi Yaron Grapa R&D Director

In his upcoming talk, Uzi will discuss how the ARRA Varieties are helping growers combat the threat of climate change.  The talk will conclude with a discussion on whether there is a balance to strike between a grape’s resistance to extreme weather conditions and its overall eating quality, or if the latter is non-negotiable. Overall, this will be an informative and insightful talk for growers and marketers alike who are concerned about the impact of climate change on global grape production.

Alexandra Sapir Grapa Chief Operating and Legal Affairs Officer

Alex will discuss how science and the law can support breeders in the table grape industry. Specifically, the focus will be on protecting intellectual property, as the illegal planting of licensed varieties is a major challenge that undermines efforts to add value to the industry. Alex will explore possible solutions and strategies that companies and governments can implement to strengthen protections for breeders and IP holders in this field.

Andre Vermaak
Grapa Global Tech Support Advisor 

At this year’s Global Grape Congress, Andre will be presenting a talk on the burgeoning table grape business in Namibia and the prospects for future growth. Andre started his career in the fresh produce industry 4 decades ago as a table grape producer in South Africa. His career continued in Aussenkehr, Namibia, where he managed and established mega table grape farms. With his knowledge in the field and vision of the evolving industry, Andre played a pioneering role in the Namibian scene of new cultivar developments. 

For a preview of Andre’s interview published on Fruitnet CLICK HERE.

YES! The ARRA Field Day dates are here!

Details on registrations coming soon