South African Stone Fruit Exports Declined in 2023

The export data for the South African stone fruit industry for the 2022/23 season indicates a drop of 2.9M cartons compared to the 2021/22 season. This is mainly attributed to the 13.5% decline in plum exports from 15.7M in the 2021/22 season to 13.6M cartons in the 2022/23 season. Peach exports dropped by 13.4% from 2.5M to 2.2M cartons. Producers and industry specialists attribute this decline to insufficient chill units (crucial for good fruit development), especially during the flowering stage, logistical problems at Cape Town harbour, and electricity outages that prevented regular irrigation, contributing to a difficult season for stone fruit producers.