NZ grapegrowers to take pay cut due to low volume vintage

Grapegrowers are facing a multi-million dollar pay cut this year after the 2015 harvest came in under target. Interim grape prices, released by New Zealand Winegrowers, show grape growers have been paid an average of $1713 per tonne of grapes this year, compared with $1656 per tonne last year – an increase of $57 per tonne. However, with a 326,000-tonne vintage, it can be estimated that growers’ total income is about $296m – a pay cut of more than $89 million.