South African produce leaders have slammed the RSA Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) decision to withdraw financial support for promotional efforts in Asia.
The move puts South Africa’s participation in the Hong Kong trade show Asia Fruit Logistica in jeopardy, and will stymie the sector’s ability to expand interest in the Far East region, they said.
New Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum executive Anton Kruger told Asiafruit that since the DTI had pulled the plug on funding for South Africa’s participation in Asia Fruit Logistica, it was now up to his organisation to raise the money from its members.
Afrifresh executive Roy Fine described the DTI’s decision as “outrageous”.
“We as an export industry provide income for 60,000 workers and their families,” he said. “Nobody can tell me that supporting us is not in the interest of the country.”
The fund withdrawal has reinforced produce industry fears that, unless it can get more financial support from the government, it will struggle to expand its export interests in Asia.
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