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The first shipment, which is due to arrive in the Port of Rotterdam this week, marks the start of the season which will feature the arrival of substantial volumes of organic white grapes (early Sweet Prime, Sweet Globe and Sugar Crisp), organic red grapes (Sweet Celebration, Autumn Royal, Evan’s Delight and Allison) and organic black grapes.
The season will also include the introduction of several new organic varieties, including organic Autumn Crisp, which will arrive in Spring 2026, as part of a range of newer and more established varieties that Eosta will have available.
Eosta product manager Koen van Velthoven said:
“Autumn Crisp has nice colouring, a crispy texture, sweet taste, and big berry sizing. It’s part of a new generation of varieties that have been developed by breeders.”
According to van Velthoven, Eosta is experiencing increased demand for organic grapes, especially from grocery retailers and supermarket chains, which he believes is being driven both by competition concerns and by growing consumer awareness of the health threats posed by pesticide residues.
“Supermarkets look at what their competitors are doing,” he continued. “They all want to have an organic grape offer and they don’t want to be left behind.
“There is also more awareness that conventional grapes are being produced with quite a lot of pesticides and herbicides. These not only harm nature, they are not good especially for children, babies and older people. This is leading to organic grapes becoming more and more popular.”
Compared with 10 years’ ago, van Velthoven said there was also a notable improvement in the consistency of supply and a reduction in gaps. “Thanks to new varieties, we have been able to spread availability throughout the whole season,” he explained. “New organic varieties are also better than older varieties: they have more legs to travel, the quality is better after three weeks in a container, and they last longer in an ambient environment.”
Van Velthoven added that organic grape growers in South Africa are continuing efforts to expand their season by incorporating newer varieties, such as Ruby Rush; a red grape which colours and can be harvested earlier than other reds, allowing growers to start their season two weeks’ earlier.
The overseas grape season starts in mid-December, but planning begins now. Demand for organic grapes remains strong and our growers need early visibility on the volumes they can reserve for fixed programmes. By aligning programmes in advance, we can secure organic volumes more effectively and are also in a stronger position to offer competitive pricing.
Along the Orange River in South Africa’s Northern Cape lies Carpe Diem, a long-standing and trusted partner for our organic grapes. Owner Gog van der Colff took over the family business in 2000 and made the deliberate decision to switch to organic farming in 2006. What began as a step that not everyone was initially convinced by has developed into a progressive organic farm producing grapes, pecans and raisins.
El Niño is clearly affecting the South American mango season this year. Higher temperatures and unusual rainfall patterns are disrupting flowering, making availability and harvest timing less predictable.
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