Rise in South African grapefruit exports expected

South Africa’s grapefruit exports are expected to increase by 2% to 260,000 tons in the 2020/21 MY, due to a rise in production and continued demand for citrus in global markets for health reasons. Europe is the largest market for South African grapefruit exports, accounting for 48% of the total in 2019, followed by Asia (35%). The main European destination is the Netherlands, while China and Japan are the major Asia destinations. Although South Africa has a free trade agreement with the European Union, which allows duty-free access for its citrus exports, South Africa continues to face challenges due to Citrus Black Spot (CBS) and False Coddling Moth (FCM) in the EU market. Industry estimates that it is costing South Africa almost US$118 Million to address the problem and comply with CBS requirements in the EU market.