South Africa’s Western Cape citrus growers have started packing their first clementines of the season for export to the US.
The first container ship, Safmarine Ngami, is due to depart from Cape Town on 12 May and arrive in Philadelphia in early June.
The Ngami will carry the first 151 pallets of what is expected to be a very good clementine season.
“We have had excellent growing conditions and the first fruit smoothly passed the USDA pre-departure inspections,” Jaco Burger from Market Demand Fruits, told Fruitnet.com.
The second container vessel, MSC Levina, will set sail on 20 May, and will be followed shortly after by the first of the regular Seatrade conventional reefer vessels, which will ship fruit throughout the season from South Africa to the US.
Meanwhile, grapefruit growers in the Orange River region are anxiously awaiting the conclusion of the final administrative arrangements between the South African and US authorities before they can start packing their first-ever volume for the US market.
“The fruit is ready and growers are keen to start their first season,” explained Joretha Geldenhuis, CEO of the Western Cape Citrus Producers’ Forum.
The Orange River was recently cleared as a disease-free area for the first time and it is expected that some 50,000 cartons of Star Ruby grapefruit will be shipped from the region this year.
Meanwhile, earlier hopes have been dashed that the 24-day sterilisation protocol period for South African citrus shipments to the US would be reduced to 22 days as of the beginning of the season.
The US and South African authorities have been unable to agree on the early implementation and it now appears that the relief will only be granted from 15 July onwards.
