The SA Fig Producers' Association consists of board members with individual portfolios, as well as fig growers and producers. There is an estimated 230 ha of figs currently being farmed throughout the country, with a large number of fresh and dried fig exports to various countries.
As fig farming is quite labour intensive, it requires a lot of time and investment. Many fig producers opt to export their produce for optimal market value, and a smaller percentage of producers sell in the local market. A SAFPA membership thus ensures that growers and producers are protected in their respective markets.
Ready-to-eat figs are usually not exported, as they do not travel long-distances well. They usually stay in the local market. It is quite tricky to time the harvest of figs - if you pick them too early, they can develop mould and cannot be exported; if they are picked too ripe, they end up bruised and battered at their export location. Growers thus have to identify their key markets to ensure the ends justify the means. SAFPA aims to guide its members through the export market, and ensure quality produce alongside maximum profit.
SAFPA is recognised by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as well as Hortgro, which is South Africa’s Deciduous fruit grower representative.
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...