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.”
This story is from the Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
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This story is from the Farmer's Weekly 6+13 January 2023 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
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