The World Citrus Organisation recently re-elected CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa, Justin Chadwick, as its co-chair.
Chadwick heads up the global organisation together with Jose Antonio Garcia of Ailimpo in Spain, the world’s largest citrus exporter. Chadwick spoke to Food For Mzansi about his re-election saying he is excited to work alongside a colleague from the biggest exporting country. He regards his re-election as a huge honour and an opportunity to position the citrus sector as a global source of safe and nutritious fruit.
“It is significant to be elected as co-chair with Spain because Spain is the number one exporter of citrus in the world and it is in the northern hemisphere, while South Africa is the number two citrus exporter in the world and number one in the southern hemisphere. To be co-leader also means that we can work together in positioning the global citrus industry as a global supplier of nutritious, healthy and safe fruit,” he said.
Chadwick added the major challenges facing the citrus industry at the moment were the rising and unsustainable cost of logistics, and inefficiencies in the sector.
“The biggest challenge is around logistics in terms of costs, availability, and efficiency. Freight rates have increased to such an extent that it is uneconomic to export a large percentage of the southern African citrus crop,” Chadwick said.
“In some instances, freight rates have increased fourfold. Freight costs account for some 40% of supply chain costs. These increases are unsustainable. Availability of shipping containers is constrained due to congestion in major international ports, and some shipping lines have cancelled certain routes, meaning exporters have to truck fruit to more distant ports for shipping opportunities.”
