NEGOTIATED
National sales of grapes for fresh consump-
tion amounted to 42,29.07 tons in 2015, ac-
cording to figures from the Information
SystemandMarket Statistics (Siem), of the Ter-
minal Warehouse in São Paulo (ETPS), a divi-
sion of the General Warehouses and Markets
Company in São Paulo (Ceagesp). Average
monthly prices fetched by rose Niagara grapes
varied from R$ 3.85 in February to R$ 5.46 in
November, according to Siem sources. Sales
of Niagara grapes amounted to 12,426.13
tons, equivalent to 28.95% of the total nation-
al grape volumes delivered to the warehouse.
The second most cultivated cultivar, with
the highest value in the market, known as
Italian grape, registered average monthly
prices that varied from R$ 3.84 per kilogram
in March to R$ 4.45 in November 2015. To-
tal sales reached 7,700.83 tons, represent-
ing 17.94% of the national grapes sold at the
ETSP/Ceagesp. The area planted to this culti-
var in Brazil is estimated at 8,500 hectares. Of
all other seed grape varieties, the ones that
stand out are Benitaka with 10.75% of the
amount negotiated at the ETSP, Red Globe
with 7.56% and Rubi, with 7.18%.
“Over the past years, demand for seedless
grapes has soared and prices have equally ris-
en”. Says Loiva, from Embrapa Grape and
Wine, in Bento Gonçalves (RS). At the ETSP,
5,226.30 tons of Crimson were negotiated,
representing 12.17% of the total Brazilian
grape crop, and 4,601.50 tons of Thompson,
equal to 10.72% of the total volume. Average
monthly prices fetched from the sales of the
Thompson variety, available year round, var-
ied from R$ 7 in February to R$ 9.75 in De-
cember 2015.
According to researcher Loiva de Mel-
lo, the white Niagara is the most used for
making white wine, and rose Niagara for
fresh consumption. In Rio Grande do
Sul, more than 80% of the white Niaga-
ra and nearly 40% of the rose Niagara are
destined for processing. “The percentage
of Niagara grapes destined for processing
varies a lot, depending on the demand
for table grapes, prices and quality of the
fruit”, she observes.
Table wine and sparkling wines are
specifically made from Niagara grapes in
the State of Santa Catarina. “In this state,
winegrowing plays a big economic role,
especially in the region of Vale do Peixe,
which is very similar to the Sierra Gaucha
region in Rio Grande do Sul, in terms real
estate structure, topography and type of
viticulture business”, she compares.
The State of São Paulo is the leading pro-
ducer of Niagara grapes for fresh consump-
tion, with a share of 9.47% of the Brazil-
ian grape crop in 2015. “Almost the entire
area devoted to grapes in the state is for
the production of table grapes”, says Loi-
va. In 2015, the farmers in São Paulo pro-
duced 131.94 million kilograms of grapes,
split into74 million kilograms of rustic ta-
ble grapes (American or hybrid), 56.63 mil-
lion kilograms of fine table grapes and 1.31
million kilograms of grapes for the industry.
These numbers come from the Institute of
Agricultural Economics (IEA), in São Paulo.
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