South African soft citrus and lemons have already hit the export market with reportedly strong volumes and quality, according to the Fresh Fruit Portal, and citrus farmers are expecting another positive year. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) also confirmed that the outlook for SA’s citrus production in 2012/13 looked positive. Growing export markets in Japan, Russia and the US have boosted export earnings. If all goes well, CGA president Justin Chadwick said the citrus industry expected to keep up with 2012 numbers and export around 1.2 million boxes across all international markets. This is the world’s second largest citrus exporter after Spain.
