Deciduous fruit is comprised of pome fruit and stone fruit.

  • Pome fruit: apples, pears
  • Stone fruit: peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots

Also included in the deciduous fruit category are grapes (see “Table grapes“), quinces, cherries, Persimmons, pomegranates (see the “Berries and exotic fruit” page) and figs.

Contents

Contents

International business environment
Local business environment
Transformation
National strategy and government contact
Role players
Websites and publications

International business environment

  • Top pear producing countries: China, EU, USA, Argentina, Turkey and South Africa (USDA, 2020).
  • Top pear exporting countries: China, Argentina, EU, South Africa, USA and Chile (USDA, 2020).
  • The top processors of pears are China, EU, USA, Argentina, South Africa and Russia (USDA, 2020).
  • Top apple producing countries: China, EU, USA, Turkey, India and Iran (USDA, 2020).
  • Top apple exporting countries: EU, China, USA, Chile, South Africa and New Zealand (USDA, 2020).
  • The top processors of apples are EU, China, USA, Russia, Chile and South Africa (USDA, 2020).
  • China, EU, Turkey and the USA are the largest producers of peaches and nectarines (USDA 2020).
  • Russia imports more peaches and nectarines than any other country, by far (USDA 2020).
  • The EU, Turkey and Chile are the biggest exporters of peaches and nectarines (USDA 2020)

Further reference:

 

South Africa: imports and exports

Pome fruit:

  • Apples were exported mostly to the Far East & Asia (28%), Africa (28%) and the UK (18%) (FPEF 2021).
  • Pears went mostly to Europe (25%), Russia (21%), Far East & Asia (20%) and the Middle East (20%) (FPEF 2021).

Stone fruit:

  • Peaches were exported mostly to the Middle East (46%) and UK (37%) (FPEF 2021)
  • Nectarine exports went mostly to the UK (48%), Europe (31%) and the Middle East (16%) (FPEF 2021)
  • Plums were exported to Europe (47%), UK (22%) and the Middle East (19%) (FPEF 2021)
  • Apricots were exported to the Middle East (40%), UK (30%) and Europe (27%) (FPEF 2021).

The annual Fresh Fruit Exporter Directory by the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum (FPEF), and the Food Trade SA publication from Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) give trade statistics for the different fruit sectors. Download these at https://fpef.co.za and https://ppecb.com/documents respectively.

Local business environment

Deciduous fruit is grown mainly in the Western Cape and in the Langkloof Valley of the Eastern Cape. Smaller production areas are found elsewhere in the country, most noticeably along the Orange River and in the Free State, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.

Technical efficiency (like irrigation scheduling, orchard design, etc.) and strategic planning are important to keep farms going. Included in trends and drivers of change to be accommodated are:

 

  • South Africa is a water stressed country and there is a need to make optimal use of water and for efficiency in irrigation systems. Choice of cultivar when replacing orchards – even choice of enterprise – increasingly important.
  • Keeping an eye on the ratio between the cost of labour and capital (using mechanical equipment like mechanical platforms can help here).
  • The exchange rate plays a vital role in the profitability of farming
  • National and international food safety and environmental legislation and regulations, local and international standards like GLOBALG.A.P. all need to be adhered to.
  • It is important to improve the quality of human capital (education and training of farm workers)
  • The political context (land reform policy, BBBEE)

 

Source: adapted from the past three annual BFAP Baseline Agricultural Outlooks
  1. The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service report “Fresh Deciduous Fruit Annual” (2020, November) provides a very worthwhile introduction to deciduous fruit in South Africa. Find it at https://apps.fas.usda.gov.
  2. For information and statistics please visit the HORTGRO website at www.hortgro.co.za.
  3. The BFAP Baseline looks at the performance of apples, pears, peaches and nectarines, plums, and apricots. Find the document at www.bfap.co.za.
  4. Various deciduous fruits and their value chains are covered comprehensively in the Market Value Chain Profiles on the Marketing Directorates web pages of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) at www.dalrrd.gov.za (take the “Branches” option)

Transformation

National strategy and government contact

  • Nectarines, plums, prunes, table grapes, raisins, apples and pears are all important crops for the country, having high-growth-potential while also being labour intensive (Sihlobo, 2018).
  • The National Development Plan singled out the fruit sector as one of the labour-intensive industries with huge expansion and labour creation potential. The BFAP Baseline 2019 noted that apples and table grapes were among those industries that have already expanded beyond the targets of the NDP (BFAP, 2019).
  • Fruit export development has featured in previous government strategies like the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) 2018/19 – 2020/21. The intention was to accelerate export growth and develop value-added/processed products in both new and existing markets.
  • 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 like cherries, berries and pomegranates have high market value and are export-orientated. They are also mostly water smart and would therefore be preferred crops. Promoting alternative crops is also one of the proposed actions of the SmartAgri plan.
  • Fruitlook is an open access online platform to monitor vineyards and orchards. It is funded by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture. Fruitlook enables farmers to cut water use by up to 30%. Visit www.fruitlook.co.za.

 

Government contacts

  • Find information and further contact details on the different directorates of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) under the “Branches” menu option at www.dalrrd.gov.za.
  • National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC) Tel: 012 341 1115 www.namc.co.za

Role players

 

Associations and industry bodies

  • Deciduous Fruit Plant Improvement Association Tel: 021 872 1831 www.plantsa.co.za
  • HORTGRO Tel: 021 870 2900 www.hortgro.co.za  HORTGRO is the mouthpiece of the deciduous fruit Industry, communicating with government authorities and other interest groups on behalf of several groupings in protecting producers’ interests. Deciduous fruit role players in HORTGRO are: (i) Hortgro Pome [formerly SA Apple & Pear Producers’ Association (SAAPPA)] (ii) Hortgro Stone [formerly SA Stone Fruit Producers’ Association (SASPA)] (iii) Dried Fruit Technical Services (DFTS).

 

Training and research

  • Short course training is one of the offerings at Agricultural Colleges. Pruning and manipulation of deciduous fruit, parts and functioning of the deciduous fruit tree etc are covered at Elsenburg, for example. Find details of the colleges on the “Agricultural education & training” page.
  • Learnerships and apprenticeships are a combination of on-the-job learning along with some theoretical training. The major part of the training can be offered on the farm. Find information on learnerships on the “Agricultural education & training” page, or at the AgriSETA website, www.agriseta.co.za (under “Skills delivery” option).
  • Find the many training movies for deciduous fruit farmers and farm workers at www.saorchard.co.za.
  • ARC-Infruitec/Nietvoorbij Tel: 021 809 3100 www.arc.agric.za Training courses the following cover: (i) Selection of cultivars and site selection, (ii) Soil preparation and establishment of trees, (iii) Irrigation principles and practices, (iv) Fertilisation principles and practices, (v) Weed control (vi) Pruning of fruit trees and fruit thinning practices, (vii) Identification and control of pests and diseases, (viii) Post-harvest handling of fruit (ix) Processing of fruit (for example, canning, drying, jam making) (x) Solutions to non-bearing fruit trees
  • Hortgro Science Tel: 021 882 8470 www.hortgro-science.co.za
  • Koue Bokkeveld Opleidingsentrum Tel: 023 317 0983 www.kbos.co.za
  • Praktika Piketberg Tel: 022 913 2933 www.praktika.co.za
  • SA Agri Academy Tel: 021 880 1277 www.agriacademy.co.za
  • South African Plant Improvement Organisation Trust (SAPO Trust) Tel: 021 887 6823 www.saplant.co.za
  • Stellenbosch University Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology Tel: 021 808 3728
  • Stellenbosch University Department of Horticultural Science Tel: 021 808 4900 www.sun.ac.za/horticulture

Find the details for training providers on the “Agricultural education and training” page.

 

Companies: growers and exporters

 

Companies: inputs and services

Websites and publications

Refer to the websites and documents mentioned earlier on this page.

 

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