South African cherries [3] are in the final stage of China’s import approval process, and Agriculture Minister Willie Aucamp expects clearance by the end of the year, according to a Reuters report [4].

South Africa accounts for just 0.2% of the global cherry volume, leaving growers little prospect of competing on scale. According to Karien Bezuidenhout, manager of alternative crops at Hortgro, South Africa’s deciduous fruit industry body, their edge lies in timing: cherries that reach China in September or early October could beat Chilean fruit [5] to market.

Gert Eastes, CEO of Ridge Cherry Farms near Rustenburg in northern South Africa, has spent 12 years preparing to export to China. The farm, which has adjusted its cultivation practices to harvest in October, currently produces 600 metric tons and aims to reach 2,000 metric tons. With China’s zero-tariff policy for South Africa now in place and its market opening to the country’s cherries, that effort is set to pay off. Eastes said that the farm is ready to ship as soon as approval comes through.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article [6].