South African table grape producers are topping off a strong export season with news of a new export market in the Far East.
“We have been working on expanding market access for South African table grapes and are very pleased at this outcome. The Philippine market presents exciting opportunities for our growers and exporters,” said Mecia Petersen, CEO of the South African Table Grape Industry (Sati).
Sati said in a statement the industry would send its first consignment of table grapes to the Philippines “once the final administrative matters are dealt with”.
“This development is a significant milestone, and the result of long-standing collaboration between government and the industry. We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the Ministry and specifically the Department of Agriculture, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (the South African Embassy in the Philippines), and the Philippine Ambassador to South Africa for their continued support and hard work in achieving this goal.”
South Africa was the sixth-largest exporter of table grapes internationally last year, and is still highly reliant on its traditional export markets in Europe and the UK.
Of the 74 million 4.5kg-equivalent cartons exported last year, 57% went to the European Union and 20% to the United Kingdom. The Middle East accounted for 4%, China 2% and the rest of the Far East 3%.
The industry expects a crop of 76.4 million cartons this season and, by the end of February, it had completed 94% of its packing season.
National inspection volumes for the same period stood at 71.72 million cartons, which was 4% more than the 68.98 million cartons inspected at the same time last year.
So far this season, the industry exported 5% more than week 8 of 2024 – 59.81 million cartons compared with 57.01 million cartons a year before.
