South African exporters ramp up blueberry shipments after strike

Published 2022년 11월 1일

Tridge summary

The South African blueberry sector is recovering from a port workers' strike by exporting 3,500 tons of blueberries to the UK and Europe. This recovery is due to additional cold storage, increased use of air travel, and redirection to alternative markets. Despite setbacks, the industry expects to meet quality standards and maintain strong demand. YTD blueberry exports to Europe are 17% below forecasts due to disruptions but are expected to recover. The industry is confident in the quality of blueberries this season, due to favorable weather conditions, and does not anticipate the market to oversaturate.

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

Original content

The South African blueberry sector is making up for precious time lost during the recent port workers' strike. This weekend, 3,500 tons of blueberries left Cape Town for the UK and Europe. “While this is a significant volume in the context of South Africa, it could easily be absorbed by the UK and EU markets. The increase in exports of berries from South Africa coincides with a decrease in supplies from South America,” says Elzette Schutte, Operations Manager at BerriesZA. The timing of the strike was not ideal for the blueberry market, but exporters and logistics specialists took note of the delays and resolved the issue with additional cold storage, increased use of air travel and redirecting fruit to alternative and more suitable markets. Elsette Schutte continues: “The EU and UK markets will continue to be fully serviced this season, with delivery routes back to pre-strike schedules over the next two weeks. The South African berry industry prides itself on product quality and ...

Source: Eastfruit