The Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa this week said that the estimate represented a third consecutive season of record export volumes, with 130m cartons exported in 2019 and 146m last year.CGA chief executive Justin Chadwick said the figures indicated phenomenal growth in the industry and the economy. “To maximise the potential of the citrus industry as a South African export, we are going to need government and other stakeholders to play their part,” Chadwick said.
“In 2020, the agriculture sector supported economic growth when other industries were battling,” Louw said. “The CGA is to be commended for the pivotal role it played in ensuring that the industry operated effectively and roughly R26.6 billion of citrus was exported last year, which was a record when the hard lockdown in 2020 coincided with our citrus exporting season.”
FNB Agribusiness senior economist Paul Makube said the citrus industry had become a significant earner of export revenue in the agriculture space.
Then why does a small pocket of tiny oranges cost R70? Are we getting the rejects at inflated prices?