South African citrus continues its ascent

South Africa’s citrus production is expected to continue its strong growth in 2020/21, thanks to the increase in area planted, improved yields, high level of new-plantings coming into full production, and the minimal impact of Covid-19 on labour and input supply. USDA reports that this increase is expected to be partially offset by drought conditions in some production areas of the Eastern Cape, and hail damage in some production areas of Mpumalanga. Duty-free exports of all citrus types to the United States under the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) reached a peak of 91,402 tons in 2020, and are expected to continue their strong annual growth in 2021, as the United States is still considered a premium market.