Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng held up the country's pecan nuts, commanding 95% of the market share in China, to the delegation assembled this week at the Freshness First stone fruit packhouse in Franschhoek, where the first South African plums to go to China were packed, inspected, and loaded into a container.
Ambassador Peng noted the happy coincidence with the Chinese New Year, expressing his confidence on his X page that "with the zero-tariff treatment on the way, SA's quality agricultural products will be more popular and competitive on the Chinese market!"
© Alisa Farr | Hortgro
Charl Stander from Freshness First gives Chinese Ambassador Wu Peng a tour of their Franschhoek stone fruit packhouse
The Chinese Ambassador was accompanied by South Africa's Minister of Agriculture and was keen to be shown around the packhouse by Charl Stander of Freshness First. "He was very interested; he asked a lot of questions about the fruit. The idea that we get is that China is very serious about doing business with South Africa," Stander says. "The zero-tariff announcement is very good news for us."
The plum harvesting season ends this week on some farms, next week on others, and as a result of a notably hot, dusty, and enormously windy summer (so blustery that the Cape Town marathon had to be cancelled), earlier fruit had peaked on smaller sizes.
"Later plums were fortunately larger than some of the earlier varieties, enabling us to pack fruit that satisfied the requirements of the Chinese market: a red-coloured fruit, with a lot of bloom. We're not sending large volumes as yet; that will come next season when we've had the entire season to plan ahead."
The lull on the fresh wholesale markets during the first days of the Chinese New Year gives Freshness First the time to put their plums on a ship, due to arrive in Hong Kong and Shekou in three to four weeks' time.
Stander adds that, apart from the incessant logistical challenges thrown their way this season, one cannot underestimate the impact of the freezing temperatures in Europe on stone fruit demand. "Between 5°C and -5°C there is often a significant difference in stone fruit sales," he says. "It's been a very challenging season, a lot of situations cropping up continually."
Having the opportunity to now also do free trade business with a stone fruit-loving nation like China is a balm after losing that in the United States.
© Alisa Farr | Hortgro
For more information:
Charl Stander
Freshness First
Tel: +27 21 876 3140
Email: [email protected]
https://www.freshnessfirst.co.za/
