South Africa is looking up

The USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service reports that South Africa's deciduous fruit growers will have an up year.

From the May 25 attache report:

South Africa’s CY2007 updated deciduous fruit production figures are expected to reach 1.35 million MT, a 5% increase of the actual 2005/6 level because of the improvement in climatic conditions and the natural lifecycle of the trees. Total exports for 2006/7 are expected to increase by about 5% because of increased production for export. Fresh pear and apple exports may increase by about 18.4% and 4.5% respectively, while table grapes may remain the same as last year because of reduced production.


The deciduous fruit and grape industry in the Western Cape generates about $700 million in foreign exchange annually, accounting for about 40% of the total South African foreign exchange earnings from agricultural products. Total annual production reaches about 1.5 million MT for grapes, 0.55 million MT for apples, 0.15 million MT for peaches, and 0.2 million MT for pears.

Fruit South Africa is refining its role as an umbrella organization representing the subtropical, deciduous, and citrus fruit industries. The deciduous fruit industry also dismantled to form the pome (apples & pears), stonefruit and tablegrape organizations.

The Deciduous Fruit Producer Trust (DFPT) continues to handle research, plant improvement, plant certification, and the technical aspects of market access for the South African table grapes industry (SATI). SATI is the consolidated industry organization responsible for organizing all other functions of the table grapes industry.