The Citrus Growers’ Association confirms 200.9mn cartons have been packed for export, surpassing initial forecasts of 171mn and marking the country’s best production campaign ever, even as growers navigate market restrictions in Europe and America
South African citrus growers have had an export season like never before, with shipments – which were initially pegged at 171mn cartons – now expected to cross the 200mn mark.
The Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA) has confirmed that 200.9mn have already been packed for the export market, of which 193.2mn cartons have already been shipped.
This is already the best production campaign South Africa has ever experienced and comes at a time when the industry has already decided on an early closure of shipments to the European Union to counter the threat of Citrus Black Spot interception from high-risk areas towards the end of the season.
There has also been an early end to South African citrus exports to the US due to the 30 per cent tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
It has generally been expected that the US Tariffs will limit export opportunities.
With an early end to sales in the EU, the question is where all these additional volumes will end up.
Growers in the Western and Northern Cape, which are in what is called CBS free areas, are perhaps using the opportunity to switch more fruit to the EU.
Other growers and exporters are reported to have increased shipments to other markets, including Russia, which has also favoured South African supplies.
South African citrus exports to Russia have for the past few years, after initial setbacks at the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, steadily been growing, with direct shipments to St Petersburg.
Consignments not only included increased volumes of citrus, but also plums, grapes and pears.
Last year South African growers only packed a total 164.6mn cartons of citrus and shipped only 157.4mn.
This year’s expected shipments of more than 200mn cartons are well ahead of the citrus industry’s Vision 260 forecast of 181.9mn cartons this year.
Although it is still a long time until the start of the next season, observers are already asking the question what will happen when the next harvest arrives.
South Africans are hoping that the US will soften its tariff stance, which will allow Cape growers to retain this important market of more than 100 tonnes of citrus.
If not, one will have to see if the markets outside the US can accommodate additional volumes.
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