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S.Africa citrus exports set to increase despite infrastructure crisis

South Africa expects to increase citrus exports this year as younger trees start to produce and help to offset the effect of facilities difficulties and higher input expenses, the national growers' association said on Tuesday.

The world's second biggest citrus exporter after Spain is battling an electrical power crisis caused by the frequent breakdown of its aging coal-fired power plants.

Freight rail and port inefficiencies due to an absence of investment at state-owned logistics firm Transnet has likewise disappointed South African product exports.

However a 12% boost in valencia orange exports to 58 million containers and a 14% dive in grapefruit deliveries to 16.7 million cartons, partly driven by products to China, are expected to boost shipments into worldwide markets this year, Citrus Growers' Association of Southern Africa (CGA) president Justin Chadwick stated in a statement.

South Africa, which shipped 165.1 million cartons of citrus fruit in 2015, likewise deals with challenges linked to the European Union's guidelines requiring improved cold treatment for citrus exports because of concerns over the False Codling Moth (FCM), a. bug commonly discovered in sub-Saharan Africa, and fungal illness. Citrus Black Area.

The CGA is pressing South Africa's federal government to call for. the facility of an independent panel to adjudicate the. nation's very first WTO conflict problem lodged in 2022 versus the. EU's FCM measures.

The market body has likewise asked the South African. government to lodge another WTO complaint versus the EU over. the citrus black spot regulations.

(source: Reuters)