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PPECB gears up for the 2022 citrus season
The Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) is South Africa’s official export certification agency for the perishable produce industry. The main product type inspected by the PPECB is citrus, with just over 158 million cartons inspected in the 2021 fiscal year, a 11% increase on the previous fiscal year.
This notable increase was despite the challenges experienced by the industry with COVID-19, climatic conditions, additional measures implemented for phytosanitary compliance, logistical challenges and difficult marketing conditions.
The increases in inspected citrus volumes were predominantly in soft citrus, lemons and oranges. Favourable weather conditions within the production regions of South Africa resulted in a good citrus blossom and fruit set. However, more importantly, good rains in some parts of the country have given the growers water security after years of drought.
Europe continued to be the main export market of citrus, absorbing approximately 37% of the total South African citrus fruit export volumes. Most of the export countries showed good growth in volumes compared to the previous fiscal year.
Looking ahead at the 2022 citrus season, they are optimistic about the volumes. PPECB have seen positive growth in a number of markets, such as the Middle East, and expect this trend to continue.
They would like to assure their clients that PPECB will do its utmost to support them during the season and ensure it is capacitated to meet client requirements. The PPECB’s mobile inspection platform, TITAN 2.0®, which allows for electronic export certification, continues to streamline the export process. Of the 158 million cartons inspected in the previous fiscal year, 138 million (87%) were processed on the platform, reflecting a 26% increase from the 2020 season.
As some of the large volume packhouses only went live on TITAN 2.0 at the end of the citrus season, they believe the future outlook of citrus inspections on the platform will be close to 100%. Encouraged by these positive statistics and the need for more accurate information, the use of TITAN 2.0 for export inspections will be mandatory for the coming 2022 citrus season.
The PPECB believes that the growth of this project in recent years has been instrumental in its ability to deliver a better service to its clients. For more information on the PPECB and its services, visit www.ppecb.com .
