The past season has been particularly tough for the deciduous fruit industry, according to Nicholas Dicey, chairperson of Hortgro and a farmer near Wolseley in the Western Cape.
Dicey said that in December 2021, deciduous fruit farmers had a bullish outlook for the season. However, logistical and market challenges associated with the Russia-Ukraine war, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and operational challenges at the Port of Cape Town had scuppered these prospects.
“Farmers are still jittery after the 2021/22 season. We realise it will take another couple of years for things to normalise to pre-pandemic levels, but we expect [the current] season to be better, as a lot of problems at the Port of Cape Town have been [addressed] and there are signs of shipping and logistical costs [levelling out].” He identified the current cost squeeze as the industry’s biggest challenge.
“The quality [of fruit in Europe] has not been great so far, with high fuel and packaging costs also taking their toll [there]. We hope the Europeans will welcome our exceptional fruit on their markets, but whether prices will be better is questionable, as European consumers are under pressure.”
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