Following bumper lemon and mandarin plantings, South Africa is expected to export a record 137 million boxes of citrus fruit to more than 100 countries this year – the second record year in a row.

The situation on the European orange market is mainly dominated by the massive Spanish production. Prices are low, the demand is limited and there is a lot of competition from Egypt and Turkey. Despite the import duties, China continues to import US fruit, while growers in California are eager to find out how much of an impact the many rains will have on the harvest.

The Netherlands most important buyer
South Africa is an important player on the global market of fresh fruit. Fresh vegetables hardly play a part in the export. In the past year, South Africa exported approximately 3.6 million tonnes of fresh fruit, valued at 2.7 billion euro.

While growers in South Africa’s early production regions are getting ready to pack their first fruit of the 2019 season, industry leaders are gathering around the country to discuss the major challenges facing them.

A ‘good rotation’ is often thought of as a cropping plan that involves diverse species, cultivars, and chemical actives. But that definition may be expanding, thanks to an ever-evolving understanding of soil health.

Even in the advent of massive textile influx from China and second-hand clothes from other countries, cotton farming is still regarded highly in Zimbabwe.