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Fruit Farming in South Africa
Fruit Farming in South Africa consist of a wide variety of fruits - from oranges and apples to table grapes and dragon fruit, South Africa is a land of fantastic fruit and one of the main fruit producing countries in the world.
More than 50% of our agricultural exports is fruit, which contributes 2.5% to South Africa’s Growth Domestic Profit (GDP).
Figures from Fruit South Africa indicated that more than 4.7 million tons of fruit are produced in South Africa of which 59% is exported, 28% is used for processing and 12% sold locally. Citrus, at 55%, forms the bulk of South African fruit production, while pome and stone fruit, 34%, table grapes, 6%, exotics and nuts, 5%, fill the rest of South Africa’s fruit basket.
A huge industry to cover, South Africa Online ® is introducing fruit production in South Africa with a few smaller, lesser-known fruits. Information about the growing, harvesting and processing of fruit is available in all 11 South African languages to help all South Africans appreciate the bounty of their land.
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Apples are one of the most widely known and produced fruit types globally. Apple trees or Malus pumila originated in Central Asia and have b...
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South Africa supplies avocados from the southern hemisphere when production in the northern hemisphere is limited as well as to a growing l...
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Banana is a herbaceous tropical fruit plant. It originated from the South West Pacific regions and islands. The first documented evidence of...
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Blueberries are native to Asia, Scandinavia and North America, with early native Americans already recognising the health and medicinal valu...
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In berry production, brambles usually refer to raspberries, blackberries and crosses of these such as tayberries and loganberries....
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Cactus Pear is one of the most commercially important cactus species and versatile crops in the world, with almost the whole plant being sui...
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There is an interesting story behind what some believe to be the origin of the Afrikaans name for cantaloupe, spanspek....
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The Cape Gooseberry, called “appeliefie” in Afrikaans, derives its name from its husk-like cape and not because it has any link to Cape ...
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The production of sweet cherries in South Africa is a small but fast-growing industry; plantings have increased by 25% in just two years fro...
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Citrus fruits are characterised by their sharp flavour and some citrus types, such as lemons and limes, are sour or tart to the taste, while...
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Cucumbers are produced commercially, in South Africa, in open land and in greenhouses. The cucumber is part of the family Cucurbitaceae, as ...
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The date pal tree can reach about 20 metres in height, growing as a single stem or if left and not pruned and cleaned at the base will form ...
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Dragon Fruit Farming is a relatively young industry in South Africa, local dragon fruit farms show huge potential to deliver substantial am...
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A delicate, yet versatile fruit, the fig has been known to mankind for millennia and is a hugely popular fruit in Turkey, which is the world...
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Vitamin C-rich passion fruit or granadillas as they are known in South Africa, are mostly grown for export as fresh fruit or to be processed...
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Guavas are a tropical fruit, which is produced in tropical and subtropical regions across the globe. The Psidium guajava is a small tree fro...
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Although a small producer compared to the volumes produced by China, South Africa’s litchi production contributes to an important supply o...
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Mangoes can be grown in a wide variety of climates from tropical to arid. The bulk of South African mangoes come from the Hoedspruit area in...
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Mulberries are thought to have originated in China, Japan and the Himalayan Foothills. The trees are primarily associated with sericulture (...
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South African olive producers focus on premium quality products, such as extra virgin olive oil and diversify their product range with value...
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Pears are a domestic fruit that is predominantly grown in the Western Cape region of South Africa. This fruit is in season from February to ...
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Persimmons are produced in tropical to temperate regions across the globe and are known by several names including Persimmon...
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Pineapples are a tropical plant with juicy edible fruit, characterised by its golden hue and prickly outer layer....
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Pomegranates in South Africa are either a completely mystical fruit or one that is a fond memory from childhood when bushy shrubs grew in gr...
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Prunes, Prunus domestica, are different varieties of the European Plum. Prune generally refers to the dried plums or the plum varieties that...
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Raisins are dried grape berries and the word raisin is, in fact, the French word for grape. Raisins are produced commercially, by drying har...
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Stone fruit represents various fruit types that have a stone in the middle, such as peaches, nectarines, plums, lychees, mangoes, coconuts, ...
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Strawberries have been used for medicinal purposes by the ancient Romans as far back as 230 B.C., to cure anything from melancholy to kidney...
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Table grapes are grapes produced for fresh consumption as a fruit. This sets them apart from grapes produced for making grape juice, wine or...
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Table tomatoes are one of the most cultivated crops in the world and there are several hundred varieties of tomato available. The fruit is r...
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Watermelon is thought to have originated in Africa’s arid and semi arid regions. Watermelon is a cucurbit and part of the Cucurbitaceae fa...
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