South Africa’s citrus production has increased dramatically in the past few years. According to Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA), soft citrus and lemons have increased significantly. “The CGA is probably not getting the whole picture as new growers may not be completing the tree census,” he said. “Soft citrus is increasing due to consumer preferences for the later maturing mandarin varieties with taste and convenience cited as reasons for their popularity.” Lemons, said Chadwick, had found favour in the East due to health attributes, while at the same time supply over the past years had been curtailed in competing countries due to adverse weather. “There are concerns amongst established soft citrus and lemon growers that the increased area – coupled with more favourable growing conditions abroad – and the increased plantings worldwide could result in supply exceeding demand in the near future with resultant lower returns.”
