Further incentive for citrus to switch to Maputo

Opening new opportunities
for the shipment of more
SA citrus out of Maputo
Port, the Department of
Agriculture Forestry and
Fisheries (DAFF) was last
week granted conditional
approval for phytosanitary
inspections to be conducted
at the Maputo Port Terminal.
The inspections commenced
on July 1.
“Citrus previously routed
to Durban for phytosanitary
inspection purposes can now
officially be routed through
Maputo,” said John Edmunds
of the Tzaneen-based Citrus
Growers’ Association.
The CGA has encouraged
growers to consider Maputo
over Durban to avoid
congestion. The organisation
also believes it’s a way
for northern region citrus
growers to save on shipping
costs. While sound on paper
and communicated well
to growers during the past
two seasons, the strategy
hasn’t pulled the shipping
percentages that CGA had
hoped from Durban to
Maputo. DAFF is currently
considering suggestions
(until August 31) to overhaul
its citrus regulation regimen
for exports, which has been
criticised by the citrus
industry as cumbersome and
expensive. Exporters want
the classification system
streamlined and simplified.