Press release…
60th International Dried Grape Conference – October 15, 2020
Delegations from Argentina, Australia, Chile, Greece, Iran, South Africa, Turkey and the United States participated in the first online meeting of the 2020 International Seedless Dried Grape Producing Countries Conference. There were also audiences from Turkey, South Africa and the UK.
The conference supported the exchange of information on world production and marketing of dried grapes.
Osman Öz from Turkey has been elected as chairman, Mark King from Australia elected as deputy chairman and Ece Tırkaz from Turkey elected as secretary respectively for the conference.
Osman Öz said, “It is a pleasure to open the 60th International Seedless Dried Grape Producing Countries Conference and welcome all delegates, guest speaker, other participants. This conference is planned to be organized in Greece, but due to current Covid – 19 outbreak we have cancelled our face to face meeting this year. And we decided to organize an online meeting and exchange information on world production and marketing of dried grapes. We have seventy participants today, which is a record participation and I hope fruitful meeting for all of them.”
The conference also considered the world supply and demand position and noted seedless dried grape production from the sultana/natural seedless raisin decreased 1.1 percent. But overall supply increased by 1 percent due to carryovers.
Carryover stocks are still relatively low, if compared to the early 2000s, but it will be possible to supply normal market demands.
Regarding the supply situation for currants, it was noted that the recent trend of smaller Greek crops had not turned around and a crop of 20,000 tons of currants is expected.
The conference recorded the attached 2020 seedless grape production estimates. The conference heard presentations from each country represented, and by guest speaker Simon Melik about activities of Dried Fruit Alliance.
It was also confirmed that the next conference will be held in either Turkey or Greece which will be decided prior to 2021 Conference.