Stone fruit exports looking good

THERE’S A positive outlook for stone fruit export volumes this year as the Deciduous Fruit Producers’ Trust looks forward to equally positive market conditions. “Our variety mix is improving and we have much better crop spread throughout the season to smooth the supply into the market without the volume swings of the past,” says Stefan Conradie, product manager pome and stone fruit at the DFPT. Pricing wise, he says Europe and the UK remain the best option, but the Middle and Far East remain important uptake areas. While China and India are obvious target markets, Conradie says either tariffs or phytosanitary requirements remain obstacles.