The South African stone fruit industry has recovered strongly from a challenging 2023/24 season, with increased volumes and signs of improvement in the country's logistical network.
The previous season was marred by extreme weather events, including storms that impacted farms and fog and strong winds that disrupted operations at the Port of Cape Town. These conditions, combined with well-documented logistical challenges, led to significant delays and disruptions for exporters.
However, by the end of the 2024/25 season, the outlook had improved considerably. According to industry body Hortgro, the season was favourable, with export volumes up across most stone fruit categories. Contributing factors included more hectares of nectarines and plums reaching production maturity and a notable rebound in apricot volumes after a weak previous season.
Plums—the country's leading stone fruit export—saw a 22% increase in volumes, reaching 13.8 million cartons. Nectarine exports rose 16% to 9.4 million cartons, and apricots increased by 50% to 678,666 cartons. Peaches were the only category to see a decline, falling 4% to 1.6 million cartons.
"South African stone fruit has continued to meet the market's expectations for high-quality and great-tasting produce, supported by a more stable logistical network," said Jacques du Preez, general manager of trade and markets at Hortgro. "While consumers worldwide face economic pressures due to high inflation and limited spending power, the demand for fresh fruit remains steady."
Despite improvements, the season was not without difficulties. Growers reported wind-related delays in the latter part of the season, and late-season logistical challenges caused some ageing of fruit on arriving vessels. Still, Du Preez described the situation as a turning point for South Africa's port operations.
"As the collective fruit industries, we continue to work closely with Transnet and the Port of Cape Town's management to ensure smoother logistics," he said. "Recent improvements were evident, and further progress is expected with the delivery and installation of new equipment ahead of next season."
The UK remains a core market for South African stone fruit. According to Hortgro, year-on-year sales of nectarines to the UK increased by 18%, while peaches and plums rose by 9% and 16% respectively. The industry is aiming to maintain and expand its presence in UK supermarkets.
For more information:
Evie Gifford
South African Fruit
Tel: +44 01480465953
Email: [email protected]
www.southafricanfruit.co.uk