Further incentive for citrus to switch to Maputo

Opening new opportunities for the shipment of more SA citrus out of Maputo Port, the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) was last week granted conditional approval for phytosanitary inspections to be conducted at the Maputo Port Terminal. The inspections commenced on July 1. “Citrus previously routed to Durban for phytosanitary inspection purposes can now officially be routed through Maputo,” said John Edmunds of the Tzaneen-based Citrus Growers’ Association. The CGA has encouraged growers to consider Maputo over Durban to avoid congestion. The organisation also believes it’s a way for northern region citrus growers to save on shipping costs. While sound on paper and communicated well to growers during the past two seasons, the strategy hasn’t pulled the shipping percentages that CGA had hoped from Durban to Maputo. DAFF is currently considering suggestions (until August 31) to overhaul its citrus regulation regimen for exports, which has been criticised by the citrus industry as cumbersome and expensive. Exporters want the classification system streamlined and simplified.