PUBLISHER: Euro Fruit (www.fruitnet.com)
With the start of the South African citrus export season only two months away and against the background of continued problems in the country’s ports, the South African Citrus industry has increased pressure on the government to urgently intervene.
The Citrus Growers Association (CGA) called on President Ramaphosa to provide an update on the government’s short-term plan to address the immediate challenges in his state of the nation address.
The CGA asked for an urgent update on progress at the ports, which it said posed a serious threat to the upcoming citrus export season.
The association called for an immediate intervention at the Durban and Cape Town ports to ensure citrus reached key markets on time in 2022.
“In this regard, we urgently call on government to prioritise providing sufficient funds to Transnet in this year’s budget to invest in critical equipment and personnel to ensure an immediate improvement in performance and productivity at the ports container terminals; particularly Durban Pier 1, Durban Pier 2 and Cape Town Container Terminals,” the CGA said.