Browse Data and Analysis

The cold and wet winter of 2023 provided favorable conditions for deciduous fruit and aided in improved production volumes. Production is expected to grow and improve in quality from MY 2022/23 when fruit was affected by hail damage.

South African production of lemons is forecast to rise by 10 percent in MY 2023/24 on sufficient irrigation and greater input investments by producers, while tangerine/mandarins production is forecast to increase by 4 percent.

Despite industry consolidation resulting in limited expansion, deciduous fruit production is expected to grow marginally as plantings come into production.

South African production of oranges and lemons is projected to decrease in MY 2022/23 due to stagnated production area and a return to normal yield.

The production of apples, pears and table grapes is estimated to decrease slightly in the 2022/23 Marketing Year (MY), based largely on stagnated production area and a return to normal yields following record production for all three commodities.

The area under citrus cultivation in South Africa has grown steadily over the past decade, driven by ongoing investments on relatively high earnings from export markets. As a result, South Africa is set for record citrus exports of 2.7 million tons in marketing year 2021/22.

The area under apple, pears, and table grape cultivation in South Africa has grown steadily over the past decade, driven by ongoing investments into the deciduous fruit sector on relatively high earnings from export markets. However, the expansion in apple, pears, and table grape production is expected to alleviate in marketing year (MY) 2022/23, despite the production of record crops in MY 2021/22.

South Africa is set for record citrus exports of 2.7 million tons in marketing year 2021/22 despite ongoing challenges. Favorable weather conditions, new areas under production, and higher demand in premium markets, such as the United States, are driving the growth in exports.