Slowdowns at Cape Town port hampers South Africa fruit campaign, poses ‘threat’ to future of industry
The backlog at Cape Town Port has improved, but not in time to save the South African fruit industry from reputational damage, according to a statement by Hortgro. “While things are better, machines still break down and need repair. The export schedule is still lagging,” the industry body said Thursday. “Reputational damage to the fruit […]
Nectarines from South Africa looking good despite tough conditions for stone fruit overall
South African growers are increasing plantings of nectarines on the back of rising demand and better financial returns at grower level, although the industry is still under financial pressure. Young nectarine orchards that were planted in the last few years are now coming into production, with new higher-yielding varieties further boosting volumes and the use […]
South Africa growers lower citrus estimate for 2023-24 season
The Citrus Growers Association of South Africa (CGA) is revising its estimate for the 2023-24 season, with plantings “below the forecast growth curve” initially projected. “This season, Southern African citrus growers packed 165.1 million boxes for delivery to global markets,” CGA says in a release. While this is an increase of approximately 800,000 boxes over […]
Table grape exports from South Africa could soar by double digits in coming year
South Africa’s table grape export volumes are expected to rise 12% for the coming industry 2023-24 season. The South African Table Grape Industry released this information in its first crop estimate for the new season. The industry expects a 12% increase in volumes inspected for export compared to the actual inspected volumes of the 2022-23 […]
Citrus exports from South Africa could tumble by double digits in 2023
Southern African citrus exports could fall by around 14% year-on-year this season, dropping from 164.8 million cartons to 142.5 million. That was the initial prediction given by Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Exporters Association of Southern Africa (CGA), though he noted that with some mandarin varieties estimates are still outstanding, will be available by […]
South Africa putting up fight against immature avocado sales
Avocado consumption in South Africa has been on the rise in recent years, just like in many other places around the world. This skyrocketing demand has a variety of negative side effects, like high prices or bad farming practices, but now there seems to be another one to keep an eye on: immature avocados. Immature […]
From fresh produce to environmental conservation
Sustainability comes in many shapes, sizes, colors, dimensions and impact zones. For me, the secret of starting a new sustainability project always depends on three things: inspiration, commitment and collaboration. Here is how these three factors recently came together in a life-changing sustainability project. In June 2021, after working in the global fresh produce industry […]
In South Africa, soft citrus volumes prove better late than early
Late-season soft citrus volumes continued to grow in South Africa during the 2022 season, while many early season varieties continued their downward trend. Shipping percentage to Europe and the UK was exactly the same as 2021. There were decreases in percentage sent to Middle East (15-13%) and Asia (8-6%). The South African Citrus Growers Association (CGA) said […]
