PUBLISHER: Freight News (www.freightnews.co.za)
July’s anarchy, which saw the destruction of supply chain assets across eThekwini and brought private sector freight interests to their knees, combined with nagging port delays and spiralling expenses, have knocked South African exporters hard.
In his most recently weekly roundup, Justin Chadwick, CEO of the Citrus Growers’ Association, said: “This has been a very tough lemon season given the range of logistics and market challenges growers and exporters have had to face.
“While export volumes are up, this does not necessarily translate into better returns back to farms as the costs have increased significantly, the exchange rate moved against exporters, and lemon prices are well below 2020 values.”