Despite achieving a marginal increase in export volumes for the 2022 season, compared with that of 2021, South Africa’s citrus industry has faced a myriad of challenges during this period. These have negatively impacted on returns and threaten future sustainability and profitability.
For that reason, mitigating measures are being pursued by the growers and industry nonprofit organization the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) to safeguard the long-term sustainability and profitability of the industry, its export revenue of about R30-billion a year and the 130,000 jobs it sustains.
According to CGA CEO Justin Chadwick, the latest total citrus export figure for the 2022 season stands at 165.1-million 15 kg cartons, compared with the 157.7-million cartons exported in 2021. The exports comprise 16.7-million cartons of grapefruit, 31.9-million cartons of mandarins and 34.8-million cartons of lemons, as well as 27.8-million cartons of navel and 53.9-million cartons of Valencia oranges.
Source: engineeringnews.co.za