The Riverland wine industry is set to develop a 10-year blueprint, defining a pathway to recovery following unprecedented challenges of the past few years.
The Riverland wine region is facing an oversupply of red wine grapes. Sales of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon have fallen drastically because of the loss of the China market.
This has been compounded by high input costs and extreme inflationary pressure on global shipping rates which has strained Australian wine's ability to be competitive on the global market. Riverland grape growers and winemakers have felt the brunt of this, with recent floods further compounding these issues.
To assist the local industry to deal with the ongoing challenging conditions, the Government of South Australia is providing a $100,000 grant to Riverland Wine for the development of a 10-year industry blueprint, with Riverland Wine contributing a further $50,000.
The blueprint will identify strategic priorities for the entire region's wine industry to help it recover from some of the most challenging years in decades and improve productivity.
A steering committee with representation from across the industry and government will also be formed, with an independent chair, to ensure wide consultation and input from the entire supply chain.