info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
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Industry projections compiled by the South African Berry Producers Association (SABPA) puts production at around 17,000 metric tons (MT). If achieved, that figure would mark a year-on-year growth of 45% from last year's 11,700MT - and almost double 2017's figure.
Exports typically account for 70% of the crop, and should therefore be close to 14,000MT this season. Last season South Africa exported around 8,000MT of blueberries.
In 2018 South Africa was the world's twelfth-largest blueberry exporter. Its export growth has been explosive over the last few years, having risen from just 1,558MT in 2014 and 634MT in 2008.
And the industry is showing no signs of slowing down.
According to Elzette Schutte, operations manager at SABPA, the industry is forecasting production to reach 50,000MT in five years.
If the export share remains at around 70%, that production figure would mean exports of 35,000MT. Based on 2018 data, South Africa would therefore reach a level on par with the Netherlands and the U.S., which are currently the fifth- and sixth-largest exporters.
There are currently around 2,700 hectares planted in the country, and that figure is expected to grow to 4,800 in five years.
According to a recent economic impact study of the industry, the South African blueberry industry is one of the fastest-growing horticultural industries in the country.
The July report found the sector had created more than 4,000 jobs in the last five years. It also noted that the industry's future growth is dependent on having access to new markets, in particular China and South Korea.
But despite the limited access to these two markets compared to major Southern Hemisphere competitors such as Peru and Chile, the South African blueberry industry has managed to diversify its export market basket.
The U.K. remains South Africa's leading blueberry market, followed by Europe. But Salters explained that the Asian and Middle Eastern regions were seeing good growth. Although the South African industry doesn't yet have access to the Chinese market, it is hopeful that will be attained in the coming years.
