Challenging growing conditions resulting from a dryer and windy season. Crops will be lighter compared to last vintage.
Based on dates from last season we predict vintage beginning later in February and run through March, weather permitting. This means planning and preparing now.
Talk with your harvest service providers (both machine and hand harvest contractors) to ensure they are available and have backup plans in case the pressure is on to get your crop booked and grapes off. Remain in constant contact with your buyers so you have forward planning time to organise other logistics such as transport, bulk vessels, pickup units, forklifts and loading sites. It doesn’t take long to harvest vineyards so the more organised the timeline the less the overall cost is incurred.
Pridham Viticulture Vintage services
We are easy people to do business with and provide the following:
- Total harvest coordination as required,
- Machine picking operations,
- Fully supervised hand picking crews,
- Bunch sorting,
- Vineyard pick up including tractor and trailer hire,
- Transport to winery,
- Crop maturity surveying and/or sampling,
- Crop thinning,
- Leaf plucking,
- Winery and winemaker liaison,
- Bird netting application and retrieval,
- Forklift hire,
- Differential harvesting,
- Post vintage – compost/fertiliser spreading,
- Pre pruning –cutter bars & barrel pruner.
Pridham Viticulture is compliant with the following:
- Health and safety regulations, compliance certificates & licenses,
- Qualified supervisors & machine operators,
- WorkCover, superannuation and other government payroll obligations,
- Liability Insurance & business Insurance.
Hourly Machine Rates
| Pellenc 8090 Selective Harvester (discount available for large jobs) |
$460.00/hr |
|
$330.00/per job |
|
$110.00/hr (+ transport to site $90/hr, includes driver) |
|
$45.00/hr |
|
$85.00/hr |
| G65 Tow behind (includes operator and ground technician) | $330.00/hr |
|
$330.00/hr |
|
$110.00/hr each (+ transport to site $90/hr, includes driver) |
|
$45.00/hr |
|
$85.00/hr |
Any vineyard blocks under 2Ha will attract slightly higher fees due to higher overheads. Price to be negotiated.
Freighting of harvester, allied equipment & support vehicle
To recoup costs freight will be charged @ $160/hr for travel time outside the McLaren Vale region.
Hand harvesting
Our business provides the best services around.
| Supervisors and experienced bucket crew | $38.00/hr |
| Hand pickers (compulsory minimum federal based wage) | $32.00/hr |
| Tractor and trailer hire per day (operator extra $35/hr) | $325.00/per day |
(For hand picking we supply buckets,snips,toilet,water,firstaid, and all associated equipment)
Per tonne picking rates will be based on award rates and average bucket weights while taking into account crop uniformity and site specific details.
Transport to winery and/or forklift quotes will be provided on a per job basis as required. (All the above rates are subject to 10% GST.)
Please note weekend over time rates as per industry awards will apply for any weekend work done. Enquire about coast at time of order.
