South Africa’s citrus industry is entering the crucial mid-year shipping period of the 2009 season with shipments only lagging slight behind last year’s volumes at the end of week 22.
However, according to industry officials, total volumes packed so far this season are 11 per cent lower than the figure reached at the same time last year, with the total forecast volume still pegged around the 90m-carton mark.
A total of 20.3m cartons have been packed so far, while around 11.8m cartons have been shipped. At the same time last year, some 22.3m cartons had been packed, with 12.2m cartons shipped.
Justin Chadwick of the Citrus Growers’ Association commented: “Shipping so far compares favourably with last year, but one must remember that there is always somewhat a lag between packed and shipped volumes.”
Mr Chadwick added the total anticipated grapefruit volume had been reduced by 800,000 cartons this week, which means the total forecast is now 14m cartons – still above last year’s 12.4m cartons.
“Exporters have taken a decision to restrict smaller, unpopular counts, which has resulted in lots more fruit going to processing,” he revealed.
South Africa’s grapefruit season has been earlier this time around. Predictions suggest it will also end sooner than last year, possibly with a further reduction in export volumes.
Meanwhile, the country’s lemon estimate has also been reduced by about 8 per cent.
“Although packed figures to date show a big decline over 2008, the Sundays River region, which represents 50 per cent of South Africa’s lemon crop, had a smaller first pick compared with previous years,” noted Mr Chadwick. “The second pick is expected to be larger.”
He added that Navel volumes have started to pick up, with 5m cartons from an estimated export crop of 21m cartons having been packed. “We have however shipped only 2.2m cartons so far.”
So far this season, the Middle East has taken the lion’s share of South African citrus exports, accounting for 47 per cent of sendings.
Other notable destinations include the Far East (16 per cent), Russia (12 per cent), UK (8 per cent) and northern Europe (8 per cent).
The satsuma season, meanwhile, is all but over, with 1.7m cartons packed compared with an original estimate of 2m cartons.
The UK received 58 per cent of exported soft citrus volumes this year, with northern Europe taking 20 per cent – along the same lines as the last five years.
