South African Citrus Exports to Russia Increase to 175.3K MT Despite Anticipated Decrease

South African citrus exports to Russia experienced an increase in volumes exported in 2022, despite the prediction that there would be a decline. Export data from the Citrus Growers Association of South Africa indicates that in 2022, South Africa exported 175.3K MT of citrus to Russia, an increase of 14.2K MT compared to the 160.1K MT exported in 2021.

Valencia orange exports declined from 55.39K MT in 2021 to 45.66K MT in 2022. Grapefruit exports also declined from 23.43K MT in 2021, to 20. 29K MT in 2022. Conversely, mandarin exports increased from 34.88K MT in 2021, to 47.69K MT in 2022. Navel exports also increased from 15.26K MT in 2021 to 26.22K MT in 2022. Lastly, lemons increased from 31.13K MT in 2021 to 34.43K MT in 2022.

The main challenge faced by South African exporters in delivering citrus to the Russian market in 2022 was limited shipping opportunities as fewer vessels were available to service this route. This situation also led to higher shipping costs which in turn resulted in lower returns for producers and put strain on overall profitability.