Fruit industry counts the strike costs

The South African fresh fruit export industry, whose annual turnover is reportedly in the region of R950-million, keenly felt the impact of the recent rail and harbours strike. Forced to airfreight produce at a little more than five times the usual R10 per kilogram charged by shipping lines, the extra cost was shared between producers and customers. “This meant that overseas customers had to do without our supplies and that a number of contracts with certain supermarkets had to be cancelled,” said Subtropical Fruit Growers’ Association CEO Derek Donkin, adding that the crisis had opened the door to ‘competition and reputational damage’.