RAY SMUTS THE TOMATO-like, peachy-tasting, Sharon Fruit, newest addition to South Africa’s export fruit basket, is growing in leaps and bounds, reinforcing the belief by three Israeli experts that this country has what it takes to become the world’s chief counter season supplier of the exotic persimmon variety. When production of the fledgling fruit began a few years back, production was meagre; around 320 tons in 2003, some 700 tons the following year and 3 000 tons this year. Encouraging if one considers the industry only consists of 45 growers stretched out between Cookhouse, Adelaide and Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape, Sedgefield Paarl and Robertson in the Western Cape, with production most intense in the Buffelsjagrivier area near Swellendam. Hein Smal, in charge of local marketing, says 80% of this past season’s Class A crop (produced between the end of April and the end of June) has been exported, mostly to Europe, Canada, England, Malaysia and Russia, while the Class B fruit is sold in SA. Meir Ben-artzy, one of the trio who identified South Africa’s possibilities for growing Sharon Fruit a decade ago, told FTW from Israel recently that it was too early to determine the value of this year’s export crop but the plan for the 2006 season was certainly to double volumes. More than two million tonnes of this fruit is produced and consumed in the northern hemisphere each year but the persimmon does not store for more than three months, resulting in the need for an off-season supplier to keep up with year-round demand.
