Minister Didiza congratulates the citrus industry on record exports and commits to work with stakeholders to boost growth in the sector
The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms Thoko Didiza (MP), congratulates the citrus industry on the record exports they made. Citrus is one of South Africa's most important subsectors in the agricultural sector that provides a significant contribution to job creation and economic activity in our country's rural communities.
“The industry has expanded notably over the past decade, and we thank the farmers for showing confidence and increasing the investments. The industry's investment is starting to pay off, as the Citrus Growers Association reported this morning that South Africa exported a record 146 million cartons of citrus in 2020; which means we are still the world's second-largest exporter of fresh citrus after Spain,” said Minister Didiza.
Minister Didiza continued to say that, “the challenge going forward is ensuring that, as a government, we open more export markets for the industry, as the estimates suggest, there will be roughly 300 000 tons added into the current volumes in the next three years that require an export market. As a government, we commit to working with the industry and other stakeholders to expand the market access to destinations such as the United States, China and India, and the European Union and other countries that already enjoy the South African citrus. In the process, we will work with relevant stakeholders in improving logistics for export activity”.
“Agriculture is part of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan that the president announced late last year; to this end, we will continue working with all stakeholders to ensure that we provide a policy environment conducive for all subsectors to prosper. Part of the growth-enhancing interventions is detailed in the Sector Master Plan, which will be announced within the first quarter of the year,” She concluded.
Enquiries:
Media Liaison Officer and Spokesperson
Mr Reggie Ngcobo
Cell: 066 298 0980
E-mail: MLO.Minister@dalrrd.gov.za
