Filenews 18 August 2023
The cooperative wine industry SODAP will not receive grapes this year due to the large amount of stocks it has, according to Michalis Solonos, who serves as Director.
In statements by Mr. Solonos, he said that the decision taken by the Board of Directors of the Organization is not to receive additional quantities of grapes for this year.
Unfortunately, he noted, "it cannot be picked up this year because there are no places to buy grapes, which will be turned into wine due to the stocks that have arisen due to the socio-economic anomaly of recent years, such as pandemic, war in Russia, etc."
SODAP, he continued, has 6 million litres of grape juice in its tanks, while the wines it sells annually are estimated at 2 million litres.
Asked about this, Mr. Solonos said that since 1947 it is the first time that the Organization will not receive grapes.
Due to the non-receipt of grapes by the SODAP wine industry, he said, winegrowers who have not proceeded with the green harvest will be affected, resulting in the grapes being left.
Also, he noted, due to weather conditions and downy mildew, there will not be as much good production that will remain unsold by small wineries at least.
Asked whether any efforts were made to receive a small quantity, Solonos replied that some proposals had been submitted for the receipt of small quantities, but the Organization, which is a cooperative, cannot distinguish winegrowers or its members and receive grapes from some and not from others.
Therefore, the decision taken was that no receipt would be made, he added.
He added that the damage from the situation is unfortunately borne by winegrowers and those who have not participated in the State's plan for green harvesting.
Referring to the problems faced by the wine industry of SODAP, Mr. Solonos said that the biggest problem is the free trade of importing wines from companies that channel it to the Cypriot market without being of high quality but it is cheap that beat Cypriot wine and by extension the Cypriot viticulturist.
CNA
