NEWS
GOOD NEWS
FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN CITRUS INDUSTRY
At the beginning of 2020 , the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service citrus annual report predicted that the South African citrus industry would continue to grow strongly in the production and export of soft citrus , lemons and limes in the 2019 / 2020 season .
Kefiloe Manthata Senwes Journalist
As we grow closer to the end of
the season , all indications are that South African citrus exports are expected to continue growing aggressively , reaching record levels in this year . While the final export data will only be available towards the end of the year , the expectation is that exports will grow by 17 % year on year this season .
In a year that was especially hard on exports , citrus is set to defy the odds as export figures are expected to fall just shy of the 150 million cartons mark . The official figure released by the citrus growers ’ association , now stands at a projected 148,8 million , which is approximately 20 million cartons more than last year ’ s officially packed figure of 127,5 million .
If we take a closer look at production volumes , citrus fruit is the largest fruit industry in South Africa , which is mainly focused on the export market . The South African citrus industry is the largest citrus exporter in the Southern Hemisphere and accounts for more than 60 % of Southern
Hemisphere citrus exports . In addition to that , South Africa is the second biggest citrus exporting country , second only to Spain .
The citrus industry was able to bypass all challenges and setbacks that came as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak at the peak of the citrus season . They managed to quickly put measures in place to contain the crisis and emerge on the other side , reaching peak export volumes .
NEW TRADE DEAL In September 2020 , Minister of Agriculture , Thoko Didiza , announced that South Africa had negotiated a new export agreement giving the South African citrus industry licence to export to the Philippines . This deal , which comes after 11 years of negotiations between SA and the Philippines , will give the booming citrus industry an even bigger boost . The biggest volumes of citrus imported by the Philippines are Mandarins , with over 80 000 tons imported between 2016 and 2018 . This growth in the export market does well to balance and accommodate growing production in the citrus industry .
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SENWES SCENARIO | SOMER � SUMMER 2020