{"id":265073,"date":"2025-11-06T15:44:23","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T16:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/?p=265073"},"modified":"2025-11-07T05:04:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T05:04:12","slug":"south-africas-subtropical-fruit-exports-offer-growth-potential-steenhuisen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/builder\/south-africas-subtropical-fruit-exports-offer-growth-potential-steenhuisen\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa\u2019s subtropical fruit exports offer growth potential \u2014 Steenhuisen"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post<\/a> was originally published on this site<\/a><\/p>

<\/p>\n

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has said that South Africa\u2019s subtropical fruit sector remains a cornerstone of the country\u2019s agricultural economy and a critical driver of export growth, particularly as the government pursues new market opportunities in Asia and beyond.<\/p>\n

Speaking at the Subtropical Marketing Symposium this week, Steenhuisen said that when he assumed office last year, he pledged to ensure that South Africa\u2019s agriculture would compete \u201cnot just on volume, but on value.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNowhere is this more relevant than in the subtropical sector. Our avocado industry produces around 155 000 tons a year, and nearly half of that is exported as fresh fruit,” he said.<\/b><\/p>\n

“Of the fresh exports, 75% go to the European Union and Russia, 22% to the United Kingdom, and a smaller but growing 3% to Africa and the Middle East.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Steenhuisen noted that emerging markets such as India, China, and Japan still account for less than 1% of exports but present \u201cenormous potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIndia presents a substantial opportunity for our avocado growers, especially from May to August when South African exporters can offer a competitive alternative to the South American product, supplying large-sized avocados to Indian consumers during a key window,\u201d <\/b>Steenhuisen said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJapanese consumers and retailers place significant value on sustainability and traceability in food supply chains, and we are well-equipped to meet these standards, but we need stronger coordination between Government, industry players, and logistics operators.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

The minister also highlighted the mango sector as a key area for rural development, particularly in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal, where emerging farmers and processors are heavily involved.<\/p>\n

South Africa produces about 81 700 tons of mangoes annually, of which 7% are exported fresh, 31% sold locally, and 62% processed into juice, dried fruit, and achar. Nearly all exports\u201499%\u2014go to the Middle East, with limited access to the European Union and UK markets.<\/p>\n

<\/span>\u201cI am a big supporter of public-private partnerships to assist where possible; for example, the opportunity exists for the PPECB, Transnet, and private packhouses to establish regional export-grade treatment and cold-storage facilities in Limpopo and Mpumalanga,\u201d he said.<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cWith strong early-season competitiveness in terms of timing, quality, and reliability, and proven phytosanitary compliance in EU and the United States markets. However, market expansion has been constrained by the lengthy and sequential process of pest risk analysis (PRA), often taking several years due to data gaps, resource shortages, and inter-governmental negotiation delays.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Turning to litchis, Steenhuisen said the smaller sector\u2014producing about 5 100 tons annually, with roughly half exported\u2014has significant potential given its strong early-season competitiveness and proven phytosanitary compliance in the EU and United States.<\/p>\n

However, he cautioned that market expansion remains slow due to lengthy pest risk analysis (PRA) processes, which can take years because of data and resource constraints.<\/p>\n

Beyond subtropical fruit, Steenhuisen said South Africa\u2019s broader trade and market access agenda has gained momentum.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince taking office, I have led progress on eleven major market and tariff fronts. Along with the DTIC, we have kept South Africa\u2019s World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute against the EU\u2019s restrictive citrus measures on the agenda, thereby defending our farmers against protectionism disguised as science,” he said. <\/b><\/p>\n

“I am also involved in ongoing negotiations with the US to advance South Africa\u2019s long-term efforts to secure broader access for South African citrus across all growing regions.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Wandile Sihlobo, the chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), welcomed the minister\u2019s comments, saying market diversification is essential for the sector\u2019s sustainability.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>\u201cSo, the export diversification approach is not just a response to challenges in trade relations with the US, but an essential step to support the growth of our agricultural sector and other sectors of the economy,\u201d he said.<\/b><\/p>\n

Sihlobo added that what will be key from now on is the consistent engagement of these countries at a technocratic level to ensure that we see tangible trade engagements supported by business.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>\u201cThe recent trips help register our interest at a high level and with political leadership, but the real work of ensuring we have greater access to a range of products starts now.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

BUSINESS REPORT<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has said that South Africa\u2019s subtropical fruit sector remains a cornerstone of the country\u2019s agricultural economy and a critical driver of export growth, particularly as the government pursues new market opportunities in Asia and beyond.Speaking at the Subtropical Marketing Symposium this week, Steenhuisen said that when he assumed office last year, he pledged to ensure that South Africa\u2019s agriculture would compete \u201cnot just on volume, but on value.\u201d\u201cNowhere is this more relevant than in the subtropical sector. Our avocado industry produces around 155 000 tons a year, and nearly half of that is exported as fresh fruit,” he said.”Of the fresh exports, 75% go to the European Union and Russia, 22% to the United Kingdom, and a smaller but growing 3% to Africa and the Middle East.\u201dSteenhuisen noted that emerging markets such as India, China, and Japan still account for less than 1% of exports but present \u201cenormous potential.\u201d\u201cIndia presents a substantial opportunity for our avocado growers, especially from May to August when South African exporters can offer a competitive alternative to the South American product, supplying large-sized avocados to Indian consumers during a key window,\u201d\u00a0Steenhuisen said.\u201cJapanese consumers and retailers place significant value on sustainability and traceability in food supply chains, and we are well-equipped to meet these standards, but we need stronger coordination between Government, industry players, and logistics operators.\u201dThe minister also highlighted the mango sector as a key area for rural development, particularly in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal, where emerging farmers and processors are heavily involved.South Africa produces about 81 700 tons of mangoes annually, of which 7% are exported fresh, 31% sold locally, and 62% processed into juice, dried fruit, and achar. Nearly all exports\u201499%\u2014go to the Middle East, with limited access to the European Union and UK markets. \u201cI am a big supporter of public-private partnerships to assist where possible; for example, the opportunity exists for the PPECB, Transnet, and private packhouses to establish regional export-grade treatment and cold-storage facilities in Limpopo and Mpumalanga,\u201d he said.\u201cWith strong early-season competitiveness in terms of timing, quality, and reliability, and proven phytosanitary compliance in EU and the United States markets. However, market expansion has been constrained by the lengthy and sequential process of pest risk analysis (PRA), often taking several years due to data gaps, resource shortages, and inter-governmental negotiation delays.\u201dTurning to litchis, Steenhuisen said the smaller sector\u2014producing about 5 100 tons annually, with roughly half exported\u2014has significant potential given its strong early-season competitiveness and proven phytosanitary compliance in the EU and United States.However, he cautioned that market expansion remains slow due to lengthy pest risk analysis (PRA) processes, which can take years because of data and resource constraints.Beyond subtropical fruit, Steenhuisen said South Africa\u2019s broader trade and market access agenda has gained momentum.\u201cSince taking office, I have led progress on eleven major market and tariff fronts. Along with the DTIC, we have kept South Africa\u2019s World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute against the EU\u2019s restrictive citrus measures on the agenda, thereby defending our farmers against protectionism disguised as science,” he said. “I am also involved in ongoing negotiations with the US to advance South Africa\u2019s long-term efforts to secure broader access for South African citrus across all growing regions.\u201dWandile Sihlobo, the chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), welcomed the minister\u2019s comments, saying market diversification is essential for the sector\u2019s sustainability. \u201cSo, the export diversification approach is not just a response to challenges in trade relations with the US, but an essential step to support the growth of our agricultural sector and other sectors of the economy,\u201d he said.Sihlobo added that what will be key from now on is the consistent engagement of these countries at a technocratic level to ensure that we see tangible trade engagements supported by business. \u201cThe recent trips help register our interest at a high level and with political leadership, but the real work of ensuring we have greater access to a range of products starts now.\u201dBUSINESS REPORT<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":91855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-265073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-builder"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265073"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265073\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":265074,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265073\/revisions\/265074"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}