The Western Cape Agriculture Department says the apple and pear export sector may be recovering from the impact of an ongoing drought.
Senior Agricultural Economist, Tshepo Morokong, says the Western Cape contributes significantly to South Africa’s apple and pear exports.
He says the province contributes over 85 % to the country’s apple exports while pears are at 88%.
South Africa’s apple exports stood at R6.6-billion last year and pear exports at R3.1-billion.
Provincial Agriculture Minister Ivan Meyer has however raised concerns about some inefficiencies the Cape Town Port which could exacerbate challenges experienced by the sector.
He says challenges include trade facilitation and the impact of COVID-19 on global shipping operations.
Memorandum of understanding
The Western Cape Cabinet has approved the development of a Memorandum of Understanding between the province and the United States (US) State of California for the agriculture sector.
The agreement will see the province collaborate with California on key projects in the sector.
Premier Alan Winde says there will be numerous trade and investment opportunities including technology, the green economy and tourism.
Meanwhile, role players in the agricultural industry say they are upbeat about this year.
This follows what they have described as a bumper harvest in crop production last year attributed this to favourable rainfall across the country bringing much relief in drought-stricken areas.
More details in the video below:
-Additional reporting by Lynne Arendse
