South African Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen on Wednesday introduced a significant win for South Africa’s fruit sector as he signed a one-of-a-kind stone fruit commerce protocol with China.
Picture: Fb | Nationwide Division of Agriculture
The settlement, Steenhuisen instructed Farmer’s Weekly, was the primary of its sort to grant a single nation entry to the Chinese language marketplace for 5 totally different stone fruit varieties, together with apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, and prunes.
Steenhuisen was joined by trade representatives from Hortgro, the Recent Produce Exporters’ Discussion board and BerriesZA to finalise the settlement, signed in Shanghai with Minister Solar Meijun of the Normal Administration of Customs of China (GACC).
Chatting with Farmer’s Weekly, Steenhuisen mentioned he was proud to help South African farmers in selling their high-quality produce all around the world.
“Our farmers are value takers and never value makers. They produce a few of the high produce on the earth with out being subsidised. Because of this new protocol, farmers within the stone fruit trade get the steadiness and growth they’re due,” Steenhuisen mentioned.
He mentioned the preservation of rural livelihoods and the long-term viability of South Africa’s farming communities had been two of the principle targets of the division’s work that went past commerce, and that this settlement would assist advance this by creating jobs, stimulating funding, and opening new market alternatives for farmers.
“The primary shipments of those well-liked fruits will begin within the upcoming season [from November until April 2026] due to this market entry, solidifying South Africa’s standing as a reliable provider of premium agricultural merchandise to the worldwide market,” he mentioned.
In his assertion, the minister mentioned the deal was a part of a broader technique to make South African agriculture much less depending on conventional markets and extra conscious of rising demand from China’s increasing center class.
He mentioned that whereas markets had been grown and developed over time, the entry that this protocol unlocked would offset a part of the fast impression of US tariffs, particularly on plums.
“The opening of the Chinese language market may unlock roughly R400 million for us over the following 5 years, a determine projected to double over the following 10 years. We’re of the view that the inaugural 2025/26 export season can generate roughly R28 million and R54 million in 2026/27,” he mentioned.
China’s imports of peaches, nectarines, and plums already exceed 40 million cartons yearly, greater than South Africa’s total seasonal export quantity.
In line with Steenhuisen, the brand new entry is anticipated to spice up export progress to China to five% of complete export volumes by 2032/33 and will create round 350 direct farm and packhouse jobs, with as much as 600 further jobs supported in associated sectors reminiscent of transport and packaging over the following 10 years.
Steenhuisen invited a GACC technical group to go to South Africa to examine the cherry and blueberry orchards and packhouses throughout the present harvest interval.
“If the inspection proceeds easily, South Africa will doubtless safe cherry market entry to China throughout the subsequent harvest cycle, strengthen its commerce ties, and unlock new export and job alternatives for the fruit sector,” he mentioned.
Commenting on the settlement, Hortgro, the governing physique of the South African deciduous fruit trade, mentioned they had been happy to have lastly concluded a course of that began a few years in the past.
Hortgro common supervisor for commerce and markets, Jacques du Preez, mentioned South African apples had been granted entry to the Chinese language market a decade in the past, whereas the pear commerce protocol was signed in 2021 after receiving approval from GACC.
“We stay up for establishing a lot nearer, mutually helpful working relationships with the Chinese language authorities to expedite market entry between the 2 international locations in shorter time frames in future. We are able to’t wait to ship our first container of scrumptious, ethically produced stone fruit that complies with the strictest meals security requirements to China,” he mentioned in an announcement.
He added that orchards and packhouses had been provisionally registered with the Division of Agriculture in anticipation of gaining market entry.
“South African growers and exporters are greater than able to serve the Chinese language market.
Over the previous few years, the South African apple and pear trade has launched a number of profitable client schooling and consciousness campaigns for apples and pears in China. The stone fruit trade will construct on these campaigns and hopefully improve exports, establishing South Africa as the popular provider of top-quality fruit on this huge market,” he mentioned.
Hortgro’s government director Anton Rabe added that the trade had a multi-disciplinary group of specialists addressing the rising calls for and compliance points.
“Constructing a market of this sort shouldn’t be a silver bullet that ensures massive volumes will likely be exported in a single day, neither is it the conclusion of the journey. Now the actual problem begins, creating this market in partnership with industrial stakeholders by maximising its potential for significant volumes to China,” Rabe mentioned.
