Grapefruit exporters have ended the season on a high – with a record 16.4 million 17 kilogram cartons packed.
According to the Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA), the final export tally was 11% above the initial estimate of 14.845 million 17 kilogram cartons, surpassing the record 16.1 million cartons reported in 2013.
The Netherlands remains the country’s top export destination for the fruit, importing around 70 000 tonnes. Exports to China rose significantly, from 20 000 tonnes in 2017 to 51 000 tonnes in 2018, catapulting the Asian country into the number two position in terms of South African grapefruit exports.
“With this record crop, South Africa remains the number one exporter of grapefruit globally,” said CGA CEO Justin Chadwick. “In the southern hemisphere, other citrus-producing countries have all but stopped exporting grapefruit, leaving southern Africa as the sole exporter of any significant volume.”
He noted that while final export earning results would only be known next year, anecdotal evidence pointed to 2019 being a difficult marketing year.
