Horticulture
The Citrus Growers Association (CGA) and the Fresh Produce Exporters Forum (FPEF) recently announced the voluntary exclusion of oranges from the European Union (EU) market. This comes as the South African citrus season reaches its end. Today is the final inspection day of oranges destined for the EU from South Africa, excluding exports from the Western and Northern Cape provinces. The voluntary termination of orange exports to the EU is attributed to the ongoing dispute around citrus black spot (CBS) and attempts to reportedly limit South African imports to protect Spanish citrus producers. As a result, the EU market may experience orange shortages coupled with higher prices for the rest of the season. The South African avocado industry is also nearing the tail end of its exporting season. By week 35-2023, approximately 92% of the export estimate (72 000 tons) had been shipped. With about 8% of the export crop remaining, exporters are hoping to begin their first trial shipments to China.
