Documentation and labelling errors prevented citrus consignments from being exported to China during the 2026 season, prompting plans for tighter checks ahead of 2027.
Incorrect labels or paperwork affected 320 bins and 6 840 cartons destined for China, according to a season review presented at the Annual Citrus Information Session 2026.
Exporters must check the eligibility of production units and orchards on PhytClean before dispatch and ensure that pallets can be tracked at packhouse level, said Busisiwe Shomang of the Department of Agriculture. The department will monitor and audit these systems.
Shomang said pallets that have not been inspected for the European Union are included in export consignments. Requests for replacement phytosanitary certificates should be limited to justified phytosanitary reasons, she added.
Errors in production and inspection records also cause documentation mismatches and delays. These include fruit linked to the wrong orchard and records not updated after packhouse inspections, said Stefan van den Berg of the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB).
Delays at Durban slow pallet turnover, raising concerns about fruit ageing and prompting requests for dispensation, PPECB’s Qaqamba Noveve said.
Packhouse labelling and palletisation will be audited to prevent repeat problems, said Khuliso Mulaudzi of the Department of Agriculture’s Inspection and Quarantine Services. PPECB will also engage with packhouses and industry stakeholders to standardise carton labels and pallet identification ahead of the next season, Van den Berg said.
Online phytosanitary registration for production units and packhouses opens on November 2 and closes on November 30. Growers will then need to verify their information on AgriOps during January and February 2027, said an official Department of Agriculture representative, Juliet Moeti.
Late registrations, unverifiable orchard data and incorrect tariff payments created problems during the 2026 season, she said.
