South African mango production has seen little growth over the past 10 years, as farmers prefer to plant citrus fruit, which grow faster and reach break-even point sooner. Depending on where and how well the crop is grown, the break-even point is usually at six to seven years. According to Bernie van den Heever, co-owner of Cape Mango in the Olifants River region in the Western Cape, farmers wishing to grow mangoes should target the late market, from April to May. Some 21,000t of fresh mangoes are sold on the local market each year, 27,000t are used to produce atchar, 8,300t are juiced, and 16,000t are dried.
The most common mango varieties planted are Tommy Atkins, Kent, Joa, Chené, Shelley, Heidi, Sensation and Keitt. Van den Heever has also acquired plant breeder’s rights for Tamarac, a variety that appears to have developed out of a natural crossing of Heidi and Sensation.
Kiwifruit
South Africa started producing kiwi fruit in the 1980s, almost at the same time as New Zealand. Today, New Zealand company Zespri supplies the market year-round and accounts for over 30% of global sales, while South African production almost came to a standstill until four or five years ago.
South Africa’s production potential for the fruit is far better today, thanks to a greater understanding of the crop and the introduction of new (particularly yellow) varieties, which are greatly expanding the area suited to production due to their lower chill requirements.
Passion fruit
With international prices fluctuating between €4,5/kg (around R80/kg) and €5,5/kg (R100/kg), there seems to be a lucrative market for passion fruit, better known as granadillas, in South Africa.
But according to Johan Husselman, a researcher at the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) Tropical and Subtropical Crops Division, South Africa’s ability to cash in on this market will depend greatly on producers’ ability to work together and the establishment of a growers’ association.
One of the main advantages of better collaboration would be the consolidation of exports, which would facilitate a switch from airfreight to sea freight. This might also incentivize the expansion of production, which would in turn help to justify and accelerate the registration of chemical-control products.
Source: farmersweekly.co.za