The early promise of ARRA’s new red varieties was emphasised during recent field days in Namibia.

South African cultivar management company TopFruit reported on its first field day for ARRA Fire Crunch™ , in the vineyards of the Namibian Grape Company at Aussenkehr.

Willie Vermeulen of Karsten Farms in Namibia said his company had a very positive experience with ARRA varieties. 

“ARRA varieties have good qualities with high yields and low cost, which gives good farm income on the farm,” he noted.

Launched under the strategy ‘ARRA Red Factor’, the field day in the test block at Namibian Grape Company focused in particular on ARRA Fire Crunch and ARRA Cherry Crush™ , which according to TopFruit, had sparked increased interest and plantings in both Namibia and South Africa.

TopFruit said the field day was well attended by the Namibian industry, which proved the early promise of the varieties.

“Growers are increasingly recognising the potential of these varieties not only for their resilience and ease of production but also for their ability to meet the rigorous demands of global markets,” the group outlined.

In recent times there has been a great focus on early white and red seedless varieties, which could fill gaps in the early Southern African season, both in Namibia and the Orange River region of South Africa.

AJ Jansen van Vuuren, table grape manager at TopFruit, had previously emphasised the significance of the new red varieties.

“The ARRA-branded varieties bring greater peace of mind to growers facing climatic challenges and looking to maximise their market potential,” he told Fruitnet.

Van Vuuren noted that industry orders for the varieties over the next few years were very positive.

“We are grateful to the growers partnering with us in this venture,” he said. ”A very promising variety under the Red Factor banner is ARRA Fire Crunch.”

Growers who attended the field day said that the early experience with these varieties had been very positive.

Interest in ARRA Fire Crunch and ARRA Cherry Crush was also evident among South African and Namibian growers during the ARRA field days in California earlier this year.

“It’s clear that our engagement with growers, exporters, and nurseries continues to strengthen our position in the market,” added Van Vuuren.

“The interest and momentum we’ve built will undoubtedly shape the coming years.”