Apple exports to China offer South Africa a welcome addition to poor pear sales in Europe

Published Oct 26, 2022

Tridge summary

South Africa has emerged as the second largest supplier of apples to China, a market previously dominated by New Zealand. The trade relationship, which commenced eight years ago, has seen steady upward growth, with a significant surge in 2018 followed by a dip in 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2021, South Africa exported over 1.09 million cartons of apples, primarily Fuji and Bigbucks varieties, to China, benefiting from its unique characteristics and meeting China's preference for smaller apples. Despite facing challenges in the European market, South Africa has found success in China and is now also exporting pears to the country. The country's strategy includes targeting 'second-tier' cities in China and investing in market development programs, aiming to expand its share in the Chinese fruit market.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

As of this year, South Africa is the second largest apple supplier to China, which is increasingly looking for apple imports. New Zealand is number one. This year's South African export to China (99% red apples and a little bit of Golden Delicious) is nearing its end. The lucrative period around the Chinese Moon Festival fell neatly into the export season. South Africa has only been exporting apples to China for eight years and trade is generally on the rise, with triple-digit growth almost every year. From 2018 to 2019, the increase was 291%. After an abnormal 2020 when exports fell by 39%, there was a recovery and this year 1,090,612 cartons of 12.5 kg were shipped. Unique properties of South African Fuji's In the first year that Fuji apples were shipped, the volumes were almost symbolic: 3,500 cartons. But last year more than 728,000 cartons were exported, which is two-thirds of South African apple exports to China. South African Fuji apples in a Pagoda shop "The color and size ...

Source: AGF