Ruby rules for Japanese consumers

Ray Smuts THE JAPANESE consumer is seeing red and it has nothing to do with rage of volcanic proportions; rather the splendid sight of a glistening Star Ruby grapefruit on the breakfast table. As global consumer preferences change so South African and competing producers are needing to adapt by staying abreast of international markets, and in this case it’s the Star Ruby overtaking the white Marsh variety Capespan, still South Africa’s largest export fruit marketer although market share has declined somewhat in recent years, reports it will export 22,5 million cartons of citrus fruit (2,7 million cartons of grapefruit) this season - some 4,5 million cartons up on last year. Of the total 40% is destined for the UK and Western and Eastern Europe, 27% for the Middle East, and the remainder for Japan, the Far East and the United States. Freek Dreyer, citrus business unit marketing manager, points to a growing demand for red grapefruit in the Far East, all of which indicates that what was largely a Marsh market three years ago has changed to a 50-50 split. Dreyer says the demand for Marsh has also declined in Western Europe so South African growers will increasingly have to change to red grapefruit varieties if they want to be successful in exports. Christo Botha, the now Dubai-based, general manager of Capespan’s citrus interests in the Far and Middle East, estimates that Japan’s preference for red grapefruit varieties over Marsh has increased by around 15% in recent times.