Berries and exotic fruit

Introduction

Berry farming is capital intensive and export orientated. It is also labour intensive, and so has been championed as a crop of national interest by government for its employment and earner of foreign exchange potential.

Berries are sold as fresh produce, and so the post harvest process from the field to the customer plays a vital role. Prompt cooling after picking is important. The cold chain must be strictly applied, because any temperature variation will result in condensation of moisture on the fruit with subsequent increase in decay.

Handling requirements for berries differ and there is no way one set of handling requirements can be given. Suffice it to say that they are very delicate fruits and must be handled with the utmost care.

Berries are consumed as fruit, and also used as products for juice, jam, yoghurt preserves and liqueur.

Source: Trevor McKenzie

The Fresh Produce Exporters Forum (FPEF) in its Fresh Fruit Export Directory includes pomegranates and cherries along with blueberries and raspberries under the category “Exotic fruit”. Although there are references to pomegranate role players, mostly this page deals with berries. Readers are directed to the Pomegranate Association of South Africa (POMASA) (details under the “Role players” heading) and its website www.sapomegranate.co.za for information on pomegranates.

International business environment

Read the latest Fresh Plaza overviews of the global market for the different berries and exotic fruit at www.freshplaza.com.

Further reference:

South Africa: imports and exports

As berries are largely an export crop, challenges include applying the cold chain, the cost of freight and competition from South America. Historically, most berry exports go to the United Kingdom and Europe. Improving market access to the Far East remains a priority.

There are two reasons why South Africa is well-placed to tap into the Northern Hemisphere markets:

  1. We have a range of climates suitable for berry-growing.
  2. We have a strategic advantage in the fact that we are out of season.

In the 2023/2024 year blueberries were exported to Europe (47%), the UK (36%), the Middle East (10%), and the Far East & Asia (7%) (FPEF, 2025). In the same year, raspberries went to the Middle East (67%),UK (30%), Far East & Asia (1%), Africa (1%), and Europe (1%) (FPEF, 2025). Pomegranates went to the Middle East (54%), UK (19%), Europe (19%), Africa (6%), the Far East & Asia (1%), and the Indian Ocean islands (1%) (FPEF, 2025).

The exporting of fruit is subject to compliance with certain quality requirements and obtaining a Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) export certificate. Find more information about berry exports in the Fresh Produce Exporters Forum (FPEF)‘s latest Export Directory and in the annual Food Trade SA publication from PPECB (see “Websites & publications” heading).

Local business environment

Blueberries is included in the category of fruits that account for more than 50% of total horticulture revenue and which generated a Gross Production Value (GPV) of R68.5 billion in 2023. Blueberries accounted for 4% of this value (citrus was the largest with 48%).

In 2023, 44% of blueberry exports were flown out of South Africa owing to improved market returns and challenging conditions at the Cape Town port. In the previous season this was 15%. Air freight is more expensive than maritime freight. Even so, delays in ports can cause a drop in the quality of highly perishable goods and is a consideration. Strong international proces made it possible.

Blueberries is one of the industries that has seen “expansive growth” and which is tracked by Figure 53 in the 2024-2033 BFAP Baseline. Exports (as opposed to processing) features strongly, with the local marketing channel also showing growth. The growth here is driven by the more affluent consumers as more basic food staples is a greater domestic priority.

Exchange rate dynamics meant that among several fruits, blueberries recorded the biggest negative average annual movements in real export prices between 2014 and 2023 (see Table 9 in the 2024-2033 Baseline).

Source: Bureau for Food & Agricultural Policy (BFAP) Baselines 2024-2033

National strategy and government contact

Find details of the following directorates on the Department of Agriculture website, www.nda.gov.za:

  • Directorate: Plant Health
  • Directorate: Food Safety and Quality Assurance
  • Directorate: International Trade

The Western Cape Department of Agriculture has the Alternative Crops Fund (ACF) – R3 million per annum – to boost exports and bolster land reform. Alternative, smaller crops include berries and pomegranates. These crops have high market value and are export-orientated. Alternative crops are mostly water smart and would therefore be preferred crops against the current, and most probable, dryer and even continued drought conditions in the Western Cape and the rest of South Africa. Promoting alternative crops is also one of the proposed actions of the SmartAgri plan. See www.elsenburg.com.

Role players

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Further reference:

Finance

Companies and growers

  • The annual Fresh Produce Exporters Forum (FPEF) directory gives details of companies which export berries and exotic fruit. Find it at https://fpef.co.za.
  • Several of the farms listed above supply berries as fresh fruit and value adds like berry jam … but also have offerings like group/school visits, accommodation, spas and events like a Raspberry Festival!

Websites and publications

Refer to websites listed earlier on this page.

  • Read the latest BERRIES ZA Newsletter at www.berriesza.co.za/newsletters/
  • The exotic fruit category of the Fresh Produce Exporters Forum (FPEF) export directory covers blueberries, raspberries and pomegranates. Download the latest one at https://fpef.co.za.
  • The annual Food Trade SA publication from PPECB can be read at https://ppecb.com/documents.
  • The Abstract of Agricultural Statistics on www.nda.gov.za , website of the Department of Agriculture includes information on “Strawberries and other berries: Production, gross value, sales on markets and purchases for processing”. There is a grower guide for strawberries. Find also the annual Statistics on fresh produce markets, which gives an exposition of the mass, value and unit value of the sales of fruit at each of the national fresh produce markets, month by month. 
  • Find the BFAP South African Blueberry Outlook: 2023-2032 at www.bfap.co.za/south-african-blueberry-outlook-2023-2032
  • Call 012 842 4017 or email iaeinfo [at] arc.agric.za for the following publications, available from the ARC-Agricultural Engineering: (i) Agro-processing of Berries, Volume 1 (Blackberries; Blackcurrent; Blueberries; Cape Gooseberries; Cherries) (ii) Agro-processing of Berries, Volume 2 (Gooseberries; Raspberries; Redcurrants; Strawberries).
  • CD Roms from the ARC-Plant Health and Protection (PHP) include: Crop Pests, vol. 1: Deciduous Fruit, Grapes and Berries. Write to booksales [at] arc.agric.za or infopri [at] arc.agric.za.
  • Consult the AgriSETA Learner Guide Primary Agriculture “Harvesting agricultural crops“.
  • Strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and blueberry are dealt with in the publication “Fruit and nut production in KZN”, which can be downloaded on the KZN Department of Agriculture website at www.kzndard.gov.za.
  • Find the guides for growing strawberries, blueberries and other berries at www.growveg.co.za.
  • Find the strawberry grower guide on the Haifa website at www.haifa-group.com.
  • Download the Afrikaans grower guide on blueberries at www.berriesza.co.za/landbou-weekblad-wil-jy-bloubessies-plant/.

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