South Africa is the second largest exporter of citrus fruit in the world after Spain. Citrus is South Africas largest agricultural export industry, supporting over 140,000 jobs on farms and contributing R34 billion in foreign revenue per season.
Government support is critical for this industry to gain market access.
The United States tariffs crisis has caused anxiety in the industry and made access to new markets increasingly important.
Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa SGASA CEO, Dr Boitshoko Ntshabele says discussions are underway with countries within BRICS, as well as Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia,
One of the key issues that we would like government to focus on ahead of the budget vote, is the issue of market access. One of the things that has enabled the citrus industry to grow has been accessing new markets. With Trump's tariffs, we need to ensure the anticipated growth of this industry, which we estimate would make us export 260 million cartons by 2032. This will require new markets, says Ntshabele.
