Glut of grapes likely

Press, 11 August 1982, Page 16

Glut of grapes likely

PA Auckland Fears that the New Zea--land wine industry faces a glut of grapes have been reinforced by the retiring chairman of the Wine Institute, Mr Thomas McDonald. Mr' McDonald said, in Auckland that the institute proposed a wine industry development plan in 1979 that envisaged a total planting of 5550 ha of wine grapes by 1986. . . ' Ministry of Agriculture statistics showed that in October, 1981, 5417 ha had already been planted. “All these vines will be in

full production by 1984, which means we will be virtually two years ahead of the planting requirements laid down in the plan” Mr McDonald said.. “At the same time, growth in wine consumption is not keeping pace with the projections on which planting requirements of the development plan were based.” The plan predicted consumption to be 15 litres of New Zealand wine per capita in 1986. “The grapes already planted will be sufficient to sustain a consumption level

of 19 litres per capita by 1984.” Some of the expected surplus wine would be sold as exports but the industry’s aim was to gain a permanent place in the quality wine market overseas, and this g meant planned steady growth at volume levels much lower than the likely surplus, he said. The institute would refer the matter to an inter-De-partmental committee established by the Government to oversee the implementation of the plan.