"For pears we will end up with similar volumes as last year which is not too bad, it has been a difficult season but looking back it will probably end OK."
The apples season has not been so good though, "We lowered our export estimates a month ago by 25%. At first we though it would only be down 15%, but due to hail storms and rain in November 2013 it was more. The biggest losses were in the Ceres region, they actually closed packing houses at times during the season, this has never happened before, it is unheard of. They are down as much as 50%."
The EU had large carry over stocks and Chile had a lot of small apples which suit the UK market. "Our volume to the UK is down substantially, as much as 40-50%, Chile saw an increase in exports there."
"Europe has been tough and now in the last third of the season we mainly service Africa, the islands and the Middle and Far East, there volumes are more in-line with last year. In the end we will be around 30% down in total volumes," explains du Preez.
For the 2015 season Europe is looking at a record crop and with the Russian market closed there will be more Polish crop as well as excess from the other countries on the market, South African exporters are anxious that there will be huge carry-over stocks in 2015.
On a more positive note, du Preeze said that Chinese inspectors have been to South Africa and protocols have been worked out and signed off, "Our department of Agriculture has been in China this week to do an inspection on dates and when this is agreed we will have a kind of trade off and we can send apples there.'
There should be a meeting in November to round everything off. "The season will start in January and all of our growers and pack houses are already registered and will be able to export to China."
"There will be a lot of pressure on South African apple exports in 2015, this season has actually been a blessing in disguise, when you look at the coming season. We have had to look into other markets and we had to be clever to find places here and there to sell the fruit."
The growing conditions for the 2015 season have been perfect so far. Over the winter there has been a good amount of rain which has filled the dams, growers have also had a good number of cold units and should be looking at a good crop proving there are no hail storms at the end of the year.