Concerns have been raised about port congestion at Durban following the call by the EU for mandatory inspections for citrus black spot (CBS) from July 24. “This could cause some potential problems particularly in the port of Durban as fruit destined for the EU may be stored longer in cold stores awaiting the results of the orchard testing,” Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA), said in a statement to growers. Durban is still heavily utilised by citrus exporters, despite efforts by the CGA to encourage growers to use Maputo. Last year citrus traffic actually expanded at Durban compared to Maputo, with the former handling 100 000 more pallets than in 2012 and Maputo handling 25 000 fewer pallets than the year before.
