Strike threat overshadows weather-related concerns

gloom, the recent heavy rains, which claimed 120 lives and left a trail of destruction, have not put a damper on South Africa’s perishable-producing sector, although some exporters are said to have taken a knock. Perishable exports are, however, expected to come under increased pressure because of the strong rand and the threatened pre-Valentine’s Day truck drivers’ strike. While the agriculture sector says it has suffered losses worth an estimated R2-billion in the wake of flooding that has affected eight out of nine provinces in the country, representatives of the perishable sector are still counting its losses. Jacques de Preez of Hortgro, which represents the deciduous fruit industry, says fruit production for export has not been affected. ‘’The weather has not had any significant influence on the fresh deciduous fruit industry… strikes, however, do impact negatively on our industry. Producers are facing a challenging season,’’ he said. Du Preez said the strengthening rand was already putting pressure on producers’ profitability. “If there is a full-blown transport strike, we are facing disaster,” he said. Sandra Baetsen, a spokeswoman for the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum, representing around 80% of total fresh fruit exports, said it was too early to gauge weather-related impact on exports. Last year’s strike by truck drivers cost the agriculture industry around R1-billion. The strike over wages is expected to start on February 13 and could bring exports to a halt, resulting in additional shipping costs and surcharges. The fruit export industry is annually worth around R12-billion. Rhomona Gounden, international relations and marketing manager of the South African Table Grape Industry, said there had been delays in harvesting but the weather had not had any impact on the packing of table grapes. “There has been a slight downturn in supply,” she said, adding that they were concerned about a repeat of the 2010 strikes, which could cause disruptions and impact negatively on agreed fruit supplies from South Africa.