The only dedicated packer of Sharon fruit from South Africa has started the new season with shipments to the UK and Canada.
Shipments to key customers in Europe, the Middle East and Asia will commence soon.
Arisa, the centralised packing facility near Swellendam in the Southern Cape, is the only packhouse in South Africa entitled to use the Sharon fruit brand since the industry abandoned the single desk system during the off-season.
“We will pack about 6500 tonnes of fruit for the local and export market this season,” said Arisa spokesman Hein Smal. “We are very comfortable with our volume and will continue to build the market for Sharon fruit from South Africa.”
Sharon fruit is a very specific persimmon variety, which has specialist handling requirements. It was introduced into South Africa more than a decade ago by Israel’s MOR Group, which identified growing conditions in the Southern and Western Cape region as the ideal to develop Southern Hemisphere production, which could augment their Northern Hemisphere production.
Sharon fruit can not be eaten from the tree and has to undergo a ripening process before it can be marketed. It is also a very sensitive fruit and can often not be handled close to or at the same time as other fruits.
“Over the past decade and a half we at Arisa have perfected the handling of this fruit and we can now offer our customers a constant supply between mid April and the end of July,” said Smal.
After some upheaval caused by a few disgruntled producers, industry group Sharon Fruit from South Africa (SFOSA) earlier this year decided to end the single desk marketing system which has governed exports since the industry was established. “Since then the industry has realigned itself, with only the most committed growers from the best climatic regions being able to pack under the Sharon fruit brand in South Africa.”
Smal said packing for customers in the Middle East and Asia has also started, while Germany will remain a key market for South African Sharon fruit. “We are also continuing our very successful South African market development programme which has a strong consumer component.”
The growers who have broken away will now use other packers, but will have no choice but to export their fruit as ‘persimmons’ due to the brand restrictions on the use of the name Sharon fruit.
