South African citrus industry stakeholders were forecasting that fewer than 20% of industry members would be able to achieve returns above break-even point by the end of 2022. That is why the CGA’s Grower Development Company had pledged to invest R141 million to empower these growers between 2021 and 2024 through its Enterprise Development Grant Fund.
This year, R40 million was allocated to 72 recipients across the country to mostly help with the procurement of key production inputs, including fertiliser and other agrochemicals, the statement said.
According to Tshililo Ramabulana, a board member of the CGA’s Grower Development Company, the expansion opportunities within Africa were mostly for citrus that did not “adhere to the strict rules of the European market”.
“This is ideal for our black farmers who are only starting out. There are a number of companies that make use of South Africa’s fresh produce markets to procure and export citrus into the rest of the continent.”
However, Ramabulana stressed that logistical systems for the transportation of fruit across South Africa’s borders to countries elsewhere in Africa needed to be streamlined to ensure that fruit could be transported as quickly as possible.
[ R1 = €0.056 ]
Source: farmersweekly.co.za
