South Africa’s citrus production reached an all-time high in 2014, although sales were impacted by a withdrawal of the fruits from the EU, a major buyer. Some 115 million 15kg cartons of grapefruit, lemons and oranges were packed during the growing and export season that has now come to an end.
“Profitability for citrus exports depends on factors like exchange rates, markets, the world price for a citrus product and the citrus product exported. Lemon growers profited well this year. Grapefruit was under pressure, as it had been for the past few seasons,” said John Edmonds, the information manager for the Citrus Growers Association (CGA), a grower organisation funding and administering research, market access, consumer assurance, information, transformation and logistics projects for citrus growers in South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.
In September, the CGA announced a voluntary suspension of citrus to the EU after some fruit arrived in Europe bearing a fungal disease called citrus black spot (CBS). Over two-thirds of citrus consumed in Europe during the southern hemisphere season originates in South Africa.
The CBS fungus causes blemishes on the skin of the fruit but does not affect the content or pose any health threat to consumers. European citrus growers fearing the fungus could infect their crops are supporting the ban on South African citrus, although there are no citrus groves in Britain and Northern Europe where much of South Africa’s citrus is shipped.
“It’s like the EU banning all visitors from west Africa because of Ebola. What of the countries where there is no Ebola and the people who are not infected? The orange juice people drink in Britain is made from South African oranges, and spots on the peels have no bearing at all on that product,” said a grower in Swaziland.
About 45 percent of South Africa’s citrus exports go to the EU, and 2014 contracts were estimated at R4 billion.
“The decision to stop the 2014 marketing season to the EU from the non Pest Free Areas (PTA) in South Africa will not be lifted,” said Deon Joubert, the special CGA envoy on market access and EU matters.
“Shipments en route to Europe were diverted to other destinations. The Middle East, Russia and the Far East are all buyers of South African citrus,” said Edmonds.
Citrus that was not sent to Europe was sold locally, as happens each year when production exceeds actual shipments. In 2014, about 115 million cartons of citrus were packed, of which 109 million have thus far been shipped to overseas buyers.
A final tally of shipped cartons is expected to be close to 115 million.
Nearly half of production was devoted to Valencia oranges, with 50,2 million cartons packed and 46,5 million cartons shipped.
About 14,9 million cartons of grapefruit have been shipped out of 15,4 million cartons packed. Lemon production saw 13,2 million cartons packed and 12,9 million cartons thus far shipped.
Weather and the amount of acreage devoted to citrus crops each year determines production volumes.