Addressing the International Berry Organisation Conference in Cape Town, South Africa’s Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, championed the growth of the local industry.

According to the minister: “In 2018, our national blueberry production stood at less than 3 000 tons. By 2022, it had grown to more than 21 000 tons. Earlier this year, severe black frost in Groblersdal wiped out between 60% and 70% of early blueberry cultivars, causing losses of an estimated 2 000 to 3 000 tons of fruit, while warmer, late winters in northern regions delayed flowering and pushed harvests back by several weeks. These disruptions have tested our resilience, yet even in the face of such setbacks, exports still rose by 7% year-on-year to surpass 22 500 tons, a sign of the industry’s strength and adaptability, with volumes projected to exceed 46 000 tons by 2033.”

Steenhuisen said that: “According to a Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy study, blueberries have the highest labour absorption factor per hectare in all of South African agriculture, more than four jobs per hectare. That means thousands of families in some of our most vulnerable rural areas now rely on the berry value chain for livelihoods, dignity and hope.”

South Africa’s agricultural industry is remarkable for the fact that it receives no state subsidies unlike farmers in Europe and America. In addition, much of South Africa is very arid and farmers face the additional threats of hostile government policy and extremely high levels of violent attack.