Citrus exports to the United States from South Africa should increase in 2020 based on increased plantings, according to a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report.
But the nation’s farmers are placing a higher priority on easy peel varieties.
The FAS report says oranges are the biggest citrus category produced in South Africa and account for 53 percent of the total citrus area planted, but there has been considerable growth in the area planted to soft citrus and lemons and limes.
Soft citrus, meaning primarily tangerines and mandarins, exports to the U.S. have increased 15 percent per year over the past four seasons and is expected to rise more this season.
According to the report, “There is a growing trend of farmers aggressively establishing new orchards under netting which has improved the water efficiency and the overall quality of soft citrus production in South Africa. In addition, there is an increasing trend of late varieties being planted, which has seen the peak harvest of soft citrus shift from week 20, to between week 21 to 30.”
South Africa enjoys duty free citrus exports under the African Growth Opportunity Act.
