Citrus growers in Southern Africa see mandatory cold treatment in the EU as a threat to the future of their industry

Published Dec 12, 2022

Tridge summary

Southern African citrus growers have experienced a difficult season, packing 3.2 million fewer boxes than predicted due to increased costs and new regulations. The industry, which supports over 140,000 jobs and generates 30 billion rand in income, is facing challenges such as rising farm input and transportation costs, high shipping prices, and new EU regulations. These factors have resulted in only one in five farms expected to have a positive return this season. Despite some growth in packaged and exported fruit, the final numbers were lower than forecasted, with some varieties experiencing a decrease in export volumes. The Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa is committed to working with the government to secure and retain market access opportunities and address the high costs faced by growers.

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

Original content

Citrus growers in southern Africa packed 164.8 million boxes of 15 kg each for export, which will be delivered to world markets in 2022. While this represents an increase of 3.2 million boxes compared to 202, that's 5.7 million fewer boxes than what was predicted at the start of the season. These figures highlight the extremely tough season that producers have had to endure, which has negatively impacted their profits and the volumes they were able to export, threatening the future sustainability of the industry, which supports more than 140,000 jobs and generates 30 billion dollars. rands (South African currency) in income to South Africa each year, equivalent to 1,618 million euros. Challenges facing the industry in southern Africa this season include rising farm input prices and transportation costs, as well as astronomical increases in shipping prices, which made the cost of getting fruit to market commercially unviable for many producers. At the same time, the new ...

Source: InfoAgro