CITRUS Exporters Association of Southern Africa (CGA) CEO Justin Chadwick declared citrus exports from Southern Africa may experience a significant decline of 14 per cent this season, dropping from 164.8 million cartons to 142.5 million, reports Santiago's Fresh Fruit Portal.
However, Mr Chadwick pointed out that estimates for some mandarin varieties are still outstanding and will not be available until mid-April.
"The 2023 export season comes after an extremely tough year for growers, which resulted in 5.7 million less cartons being packed for export in 2022 (164.8 million cartons in total), than what was predicted at the start of the season as well as only one in five growers making a positive return," said Mr Chadwick.
"The challenges faced include: a surge in farming input prices and transport costs as well as astronomical shipping price hikes, which made the cost of getting fruit to market commercially unviable for many growers. The introduction of the unjustified and discriminatory new False Coddling Moth (FCM) regulations passed by the European Union (EU) midseason, ongoing decay of public infrastructure, and an erratic electricity supply added to industry woes."
Mr Chadwick stated a significant number of challenges are expected to persist in 2023, with some likely to worsen, including increased bouts of load shedding and rising input costs.
Furthermore, the crop forecast for several varieties indicates only moderate growth or a decrease in comparison to the figures for 2022.
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