The report concludes with an abridged income statement for an overview of the organisation’s finances. During the period under review, the industry operated amidst widespread uncertainty brought about by the outbreak of COVID-19. But overall, the industry performed relatively well with growth in exports recorded for citrus and deciduous fruit. Fruit SA also welcomed Berries ZA as a new member, which grew the board directorship to eight; appointed a new CEO, Fhumulani Ratshitanga in June 2020 (following Dr Konanani Liphadzi’s resignation in March 2020); and the board held three board meetings and a strategic review session. Generally, the various Fruit SA programmes performed well during this period. There was steady progress in transformation by Fruit SA member associations, and the total area under fruit production by black people reached 17 469 ha at the end of 2020.
A transformation review giving an account of members’ activities in 2019, was also published. The market access programme continued despite being severely affected by travel bans related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scheduled inward bound verification visits for market access applications by trading partners as well as industry market development missions to target markets, could not be undertaken. However, the eventual signing of the protocol for citrus to the Philippines was a significant development. Engagements between industry and government continued on pertinent matters, in a quest to strengthen this critical partnership. In addition to bilateral engagements, Fruit SA participated in platforms such as the Fruit Industry Value Chain Round Table, the CEO Forum and Agricultural Trade Forum.
The information management and communication portfolio of work also progressed well, and stakeholders were kept informed of the activities and developments of the organisation through various channels, the newsletter and social media. The Phytclean/eCertification project also registered good progress and proved invaluable, as SA was able to electronically transfer phytosanitary certificates to trading partners. Other stakeholder engagements also remained firmly on the Fruit SA radar. The organisation participated in events of Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters (SHAFFE), Agri Sector Unity Forum (ASUF) as well as career fairs. However, participation in international trade fairs was also a casualty of pandemic related travel bans.
