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Welcome back to this week’s AMT Fresh Produce Market Report. While vegetables remain under pressure, the fruit market has also seen significant movement — and one commodity in particular is stealing the spotlight.
The new table grape season has officially kicked off, volumes are climbing fast, and prices are already feeling the impact. If this rapid pace continues, we could even see grape prices dip below the R20/kg mark before the end of the year.
Let’s take a closer look at the fruit market trends from the past week.
🍌 Key Fruit Price Movements
Bananas
Bananas increased to R11.49/kg, although this is still about 20% lower than a year ago.
Apples & Pears
- Apples: ↑ to R13.18/kg
- Pears: ↑ sharply to R10.06/kg
Citrus Market
Mixed movements across the citrus categories:
- Oranges: ↑ to R8.61/kg
- Lemons: ↓ to R8.21/kg
- Naartjies: ↑ to R9.92/kg
- Grapefruit: ↑ slightly to R9.30/kg
Avocados
- Stable at R29.26/kg
Table Grapes
This week’s biggest mover:
- Table grapes: ↓ 24% to R46.57/kg
Volumes have started climbing rapidly as the new season ramps up, triggering a sharp drop in prices — and indicating more pressure ahead.
Other Fruits
- Pineapples: ↑ to R11.65/kg
- Blueberries: ↓ to R39.62/kg
- Watermelons: ↓ to R1.05/kg
🍇 Table Grapes Under Severe Pressure
The standout trend this week is the aggressive drop in table grape prices.
- The market started the season slightly slower than last year.
- But volumes are now rising fast — and expected to accelerate further through December.
- If supply continues increasing at this pace, grape prices could easily fall below R20/kg before year-end.
📉 What to expect
A meaningful recovery in table grape prices is unlikely before April next year, once local supply begins tapering off. Until then, the grape market is expected to remain under intense pressure.
📈 Summary
The fruit market saw several moderate increases, but the overwhelming story this week is the rapid expansion in table grape supply and the resulting price drop. As we move deeper into the festive season, watch grapes closely — this is where the biggest risk and movement lie.
📢 That’s your AMT Weekly Fruit Market Outlook
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