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The Citrus Grower's Association says the final export figures for 2023 show a lower-than-predicted growth due to the ongoing challenges facing farmers.
CEO, Justin Chadwick says Southern African citrus growers packed 165.1 million 15kg cartons for delivery to global markets.
He says while this is an increase of approximately 800,000 cartons in 2022, it is still 500,000 cartons lower than the forecast at the start of the season.
Chadwick says this highlights the continued challenges faced by growers when it comes to getting their fruit to key markets.
"These included sustained high levels of load shedding, which impacted their ability to irrigate, fertilize, pack, and cool citrus, the latter being an essential phytosanitary requirement for many export varieties", he said.
Chadwick says congestion at ports and dysfunctional freight rail networks have cost farmers dearly and halted growth opportunities for the citrus industry.
"We continue to engage with Transnet on these issues, but is in full support of the state-owned entity expediting public-private partnerships both in the ports and the rail system as a matter of urgency", he said.
According to the CGA, the general surge in farming input costs continued during the 2023 season and placed pressure on growers.
It says devastating floods in the Western Cape in June also impacted farms in that province.
The floods caused damage of at least R500 million to citrus farms in the Citrusdal valley.
"Perhaps the biggest challenge faced by the industry this season has been an intensification of the unjustified phytosanitary regulations imposed on growers by the European Union", it said.
