South African blueberry industry experiences great development and its exports would double in 2017-18
The South African cranberry industry continues to experience significant development, and exports are expected to double almost every year for the second consecutive season.
The South African Berry Producers Association (SABPA) reported that exports during the 2017-18 campaign will increase from 4.154 metric tons (TM) last season to around 8.000 TM.
Total production is expected to increase from 5.869TM to 10,000-11.000TM, as many new plantations continue to mature.
The representative of SABPA, Elzette Schutte, told Portalfruticola.com that some orchards in the country had started with their harvest as early as July, but the first exports were sent in the 31 week.
"In general, we continue until the 8 week with the export, but the sales continue until March or April", he pointed.
Being able to export the fruit during the months of September and October, when there is very little competition in its leading markets -United Kingdom and Europe- is a great advantage for the South African industry.
Schutte said that this current season had started "very positively".
"The fruit of the northern hemisphere is no longer in the market. We are looking forward to a good season with good quality fruit".
Schutte explained that Peru, which has a marketing window similar to South Africa, is more focused on the North American market due to proximity, which limits competition in Europe.
In addition, he pointed out that South African blueberries would have to undergo a cold treatment at 0ºC before entering the United States, so the market is not a very attractive option at present.
The industry was interested in exporting to Asian markets such as China, India, South Korea and Thailand as part of a long-term strategy, but Schutte stressed that gaining access to the market was not a quick process in any way.
Last year, the United Kingdom received the 58% of South African blueberry exports, with an additional 32% for Europe, an 6% for Africa, an 3% for the Far East and Asia and an 1% for the Middle East.
Production development
Schutte noted that the growing global demand for blueberries had fueled interest in planting the fruit in South Africa, and SABPA has received numerous inquiries from producers of other crops interested in the industry.
The long process of bringing plant material from other countries has also been a limiting factor in the amount of growth that the sector may have experienced previously.
There are three exporters of blueberries in the country, each of which brought its own genetics, which is then granted to authorized producers.
"One, for example, would have genetics from California, another from Australia, and they all bring their own material and then multiply it here".
Cranberry growers looking to produce newer and improved varieties should generally align with one of the three exporters to gain access to genetics, he explained.
"Then there are also people who bring new materials, such as companies abroad who see an opportunity in South Africa. So, definitely, there will be more and more entries to this country, which is great"He said.
It is expected that the total hectares will double in 2022 to more than 2.000 hectares, although Schutte said the figure could end up even higher.
"The tonnage is expected to grow a lot. I do not think we are close to where Peru or Argentina are, we are still very small, but we are growing at a good pace that is very exciting".
According to the survey, the 69% of the country's blueberry plantations are no more than three years old.
While most blueberry plantations are currently in the Western Cape, most of the future development is expected to come from the northern provinces such as Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Around 60% of South African plantations of all berry categories, of which blueberries are predominant to a large extent, last year were based in the Western Cape, but for 2022 this figure will be reduced to 51%.
Meanwhile, it is expected that the base share of berries in Limpopo will grow from 15% to 25%.
"The increase in development in the North is mainly due to the fact that they are previous areas and, therefore, more suitable to be in the market"Said Schutte.
He also noted that there was a definite trend in South Africa towards the early season, but not too early, otherwise there could be overlap with supplies from the northern hemisphere.
"Ideally, we are in the market in September and October".
The results of the survey also showed that 61% of blueberry cultivation occurs under shade networks, 14% in tunnels and 25% in open field. In addition, 70% of the fruit is grown in soil and the remaining 30% is grown on substrate.
Source: Fruit Portal
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