Pixabay
South Africa's citrus industry is poised to break all previous export season records with an estimated 158.7 million cartons in 2021.
The Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa said if the estimate is reached, it would represent a third consecutive season of record export volumes, with 130 million cartons exported in 2019, followed by 146 million last year.
The Association said their current projections for 2021 indicate a 22% growth in export figures in just two years.
It added that Eswatini and Zimbabwe combined also increased their exports from 3.9 million cartons in 2020, to an estimated 4.4 million cartons this year, an increase of 13% bringing the total Southern African volume to be exported through our ports to more than 163 million cartons.
“Medium-term crop estimates indicate that the citrus industry is expected to continue increasing its exports by another 300 000 tons over the next three years. These figures indicate phenomenal growth within the South African citrus industry, and for our local economy,” the Association said.
But, it said in order to maximise the potential of the citrus industry as a South African export, it would require government and other stakeholders to play their part.
“For example, we will be relying heavily on the efficiency of our ports in order to successfully ship the additional 13 million cartons estimated for this year alone.”
“We will also need to work hand-in-hand with the government to secure, maintain and retain as many market access opportunities as possible. Optimising access conditions will be essential for the continued growth of our industry,” the Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa said.
