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The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2021

Yasmin Mahomedy | South Africa | 29 March 2021

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2019

Duncan Bekker | South Africa | 08 March 2019

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2017

Duncan Bekker | South Africa | 20 March 2017

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2015

Duncan Bekker | South Africa | 17 November 2015

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Report Coverage

This report focuses on the fresh fruit and vegetables industry in South Africa and includes comprehensive information on the state and size of the sector, key production areas, production volumes and exports. There is information on major distribution channels such as fresh produce markets and retailers, research and development and information on barriers to entry and competition.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Industry

The fresh fruit and vegetables industry accounts for almost a quarter of total farming revenue in South Africa. The coronavirus pandemic has intensified the demand for fresh fruit and vegetables, and the agricultural sector, as a provider of essential goods, was exempt from lockdown restrictions. Growth in the fresh produce sector was underpinned by demand for fresh and healthy products, and by the higher export prices provided by the weak exchange rate.

Exports

Deciduous and citrus fruit have become very high-value crops with many fruit farmers entering the market over the last decade with the aim of exporting. There are more than 130 fruit exporters operating in South Africa. Horticultural exports remain the main contributor to South Africa’s positive agricultural trade balance and fruit has become one of the country’s most lucrative export products. Europe remains the top importing region, accounting for 40% of fruit exports in 2019. In January 2021, the United States government announced the opening of several new ports for the import of citrus products from South Africa.

Trends

There has been an increase in the consumption of fresh produce due to the coronavirus pandemic. Among health conscious consumers, demand for ginger, red peppers, blueberries, cauliflower, and lettuce resulted in significant price increases, while low carb diets also resulted in increased demand for replacements such as cauliflower and broccoli. There has been an increase in demand for avocados, which have increased in price following a shortage in 2020.

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The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2021

Full Report

R 6 500.00(ZAR) estimated $343.74 (USD)*

Industry Overview

R 4 550.00(ZAR) estimated $ 240.62 (USD)*

Historical Reports

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2019-03-08

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.48 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2017-03-20

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.48 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2015-11-17

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.48 (USD)*

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Table of Contents

[ Close ]
PAGE
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
2.1. Industry Value Chain 5
2.2. Geographic Position 6
3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 9
4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 15
4.1. Local 15
4.1.1. Trade 30
4.1.2. Corporate Actions 43
4.1.3. Regulations 43
4.1.4. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development 45
4.2. Continental 48
4.3. International 50
5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 59
5.1. Coronavirus 59
5.2. Economic Environment 60
5.3. Rising Input Costs 61
5.4. Load Shedding 61
5.5. Government Incentives and Support 62
5.6. Land Reform and Expropriation 62
5.7. Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation 63
5.8. Cyclicality 64
5.9. Environmental Concerns 65
5.10. Labour 67
6. COMPETITION 71
6.1. Barriers to Entry 72
7. SWOT ANALYSIS 73
8. OUTLOOK 74
9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 74
10. REFERENCES 75
10.1. Publications 75
10.2. Websites 75

Report Coverage

This report examines the fresh fruit and vegetable sector in South Africa. South Africa’s horticultural produce was worth R78bn in the 2017/2018 growing season and the sector employs over 300,000 people. A major area of focus is the marketing of fresh fruit and vegetables through South Africa’s key distribution channels for horticulture: national fresh produce markets, large supermarkets, processors, and exports, all of which are discussed in detail in the report, as are numerous factors influencing the sector’s success.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Industry

South African horticulture plays an increasingly key role in the wider agricultural sector and is a particularly important category for the country’s agricultural exports. Horticulture’s contribution to the value of total agriculture has steadily increased over the past two decades and fresh fruit and vegetables accounted for 28.8% of annual gross value of agricultural production in the 2017/2018 season. The horticultural industry accounts for over one third of total employment in South African agriculture.

Key Issues

While the vegetable market remains primarily driven by local demand, fruit is a lucrative export crop and South Africa a key supplier of deciduous and citrus fruit to counter-seasonal markets in the northern hemisphere. The industry faces several headwinds, and role players have identified water shortages and land expropriation without compensation as key challenges. The average price of agricultural land fell sharply during the first nine months of 2018 as expropriation concerns escalated. Despite the drought, which had a marked impact on the volume of summer and winter grains, horticultural production has been stable and exports are forecast to grow.

Read More..
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2019

Full Report

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.48 (USD)*

Industry Overview

R 1 330.00(ZAR) estimated $ 70.34 (USD)*

Historical Reports

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2021-03-29

R 6 500.00(ZAR) estimated $343.74 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2017-03-20

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.48 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2015-11-17

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.48 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

Table of Contents

[ Close ]
PAGE
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
2.1. Industry Value Chain 4
2.2. Geographic Position 5
3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 6
4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 10
4.1. Local 10
4.1.1. Trade 17
4.1.2. Corporate Actions 21
4.1.3. Regulations 21
4.1.4. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development 23
4.2. Continental 25
4.3. International 26
5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 28
5.1. Economic Environment 28
5.2. Input Costs 29
5.3. Labour 30
5.4. Cyclicality 32
5.5. Environmental Concerns 32
5.6. Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation 33
6. COMPETITION 35
6.1. Barriers to Entry 36
7. SWOT ANALYSIS 37
8. OUTLOOK 38
9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 39
10. REFERENCES 39
10.1. Publications 39
10.2. Websites 40
APPENDIX 1 42
Disaggregated Distribution of Key Products 42

Report Coverage

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Industry report describes current conditions, investment in the sector and the stagnant market share of National Fresh Produce Markets (NFPMs). Statistics regarding the value of horticultural production are provided while factors influencing the success of the industry and barriers to entry are discussed.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Industry

According to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), the gross value of agricultural production was an estimated R247bn in 2016, with horticulture contributing 28.5% to this total. Horticultural production was 11.9 million tons, with a gross value of R70.4bn for the marketing season ended June 2016. Although the drought of 2015/2016 had some impact on the production and marketing of fresh fruit and vegetables, horticulture fared better than many other areas of primary agriculture. There are 6,000 commercial farmers currently involved in the cultivation of fruit and vegetables, a decrease of 26% over the last decade, and the industry currently employs 250,000 full-time farm labourers but supplements this figure with widely fluctuating seasonal employment.

An Export-Focused Sector

The industry, particularly for fruit, is export-oriented and horticultural produce worth R43.6bn was exported in 2016. South Africa's trade balance in this sector is favourable, with imports of fruit and vegetables totalling only R3.5bn. Although the United Kingdom and Northern Europe remain the largest consumers of South African fruit produce, with the EU region accounting for 35% of South Africa's total deciduous fruit exports, the markets in the Middle East and Asia are becoming increasingly important. Over the last decade deciduous exports to the Middle East and Asia have risen from around 10% to more than 30% in key product categories and a similar trend is evident with regards to citrus exports. The recent signing of Memoranda of Understanding with China, Indonesia and Italy is intended to further increase exports of South African fruit.

Read More..
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2017

Full Report

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.48 (USD)*

Industry Overview

R 1 330.00(ZAR) estimated $ 70.34 (USD)*

Historical Reports

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2021-03-29

R 6 500.00(ZAR) estimated $343.74 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2019-03-08

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.48 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2015-11-17

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.48 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

Table of Contents

[ Close ]
PAGE
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
2.1. Industry Value Chain 2
2.2. Geographic Position 5
3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 6
4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 9
4.1. Local 9
4.1.1. Corporate Actions 18
4.1.2. Regulations 19
4.1.3. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development 19
4.2. Continental 22
4.3. International 24
5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 25
5.1. Economic Environment 25
5.2. Input Costs 26
5.3. Labour Resources 27
5.4. Cyclicality 29
5.5. Environmental Concerns 29
5.6. Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation 31
6. COMPETITION 33
6.1. Barriers to Entry 33
7. SWOT ANALYSIS 36
8. OUTLOOK 36
9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 37
10. REFERENCES 38
10.1. Publications 38
10.2. Websites 38
APPENDIX 1 40
Trade Liberalisation 40
APPENDIX 2 41
Disaggregated Distribution of Key Products 41

Report Coverage

This report on the local fresh fruit and vegetable industry examines the various channels of distribution available to producers including national fresh produce markets, retailers, processors and the export market. Statistics regarding the value of horticultural production are provided while factors influencing the success of the industry are outlined.

The South African Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Industry

The South African fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) industry was valued at R58bn in 2014. The contribution of the horticultural sector to total agricultural production has continued to increase, growing from an 18% average share in the 1980s to 26.6% in 2014. Of the total gross income from horticultural products, citrus fruit accounted for R12.6bn, deciduous fruit for R14.7bn, sub-tropical fruit for R3.5bn and vegetables for R18.4bn. As far as the export market is concerned, total exports were worth R32.7bn in 2014, with fruit exports significantly more important, accounting for R30bn of the total.

Growth Potential

Primary agriculture and the agro-processing sector have been identified as a key area of potential growth due to the strong forward and backward linkages to the rest of the economy. Investment in agriculture provides a substantial return per Rand spent and can provide relatively high numbers of jobs. As a result, there are various developmental projects, co-operatives and initiatives aimed at fostering new agricultural enterprises. National fresh produce markets (NFPMs) offer opportunities for individuals and SMMEs to trade with larger players and the adoption of the “Back to Back Co-operative” will develop the ability for emerging farmers, emerging agents and small-scale traders to do business with large companies, making use of vital infrastructure and the latest technologies. South Africa is particularly well-situated to take advantage of the emerging African market as South Africa controls around 90% of the African export market and is one of the largest producers and exporters of fruit in the Southern hemisphere.

Read More..
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2015

Full Report

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.48 (USD)*

Industry Overview

R 1 330.00(ZAR) estimated $ 70.34 (USD)*

Historical Reports

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2021-03-29

R 6 500.00(ZAR) estimated $343.74 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2019-03-08

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.48 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Industry in South Africa 2017-03-20

R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $100.48 (USD)*

View Report Add to Cart

Table of Contents

[ Close ]
PAGE
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
2.1. Industry Value Chain 2
2.1.1. Distribution Channels 3
2.2. Geographic Position 6
3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 8
3.1. Key Statistics 2014 8
3.2. Disaggregated Farming Units, Farm Size and Employment 9
3.3. Market Share by Turnover at NFPMs 10
3.4. Disaggregated Distribution of Key Products 11
3.5. Exports 14
4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 16
4.1. Local 16
4.1.1. Corporate Actions 21
4.1.2. Regulations 22
4.1.3. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development 23
4.1.4. Opportunities for SMMEs 23
4.2. Continental 24
4.3. International 25
5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 26
5.1. Economic Environment 26
5.2. Labour Resources 27
5.3. Technology, Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation 30
5.4. Information Technology 31
5.5. Cyclicality 32
5.6. Environmental Concerns 32
6. COMPETITION 33
6.1. Barriers to Entry 33
7. SWOT ANALYSIS 36
8. OUTLOOK 36
9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 37
10. REFERENCES 38
10.1. Publications 38
10.2. Websites 39
APPENDIX 1 40
Trade Liberalisation 40