In the Western Cape, where around half of the country’s blueberries are grown, producers face uncertainty as they wait to see how a warmer-than-usual winter, flood damage earlier in the year, and potential port disruptions will affect the season, which is due to begin in October.
Nicolas Balcomb, director of Primocane Capital, which operates blueberry farms in Mpumalanga and the Western Cape, said that while their Barberton operation had enjoyed an excellent season, flood damage had reduced their Western Cape crop by about 30%.
“We only had one incidence of frost in Barberton this year. The climate is definitely shifting, as it’s been very warm in both Mpumalanga and the Western Cape this winter,” he told Farmer’s Weekly.
Elzette Schutte, operations manager at Berries ZA, said growers in the Western Cape remained cautiously optimistic despite concerns over the unusually mild winter.
“So far, producers are reporting that the crop looks good. But we didn’t get the normal number of cold units this winter, and it’s unclear what impact this will have on the crop.”
She added that the dry winter could also place pressure on irrigation water supplies later in the season.
Despite the contrasting production outlooks, export prospects remain encouraging. Balcomb said poor weather had also affected Peru, South Africa’s biggest competitor, reducing its expected crop and supporting international prices.
“For the season to date, export prices have been around R135/kg to R150/kg. Last year, prices dipped to about R90/kg from mid-October when Peru’s blueberries entered the market,” he explained.
South Africa is expected to produce 28 030t of blueberries this year, up from about 26 000t in 2025, with the industry hoping that at least 27 000t will qualify for export. By comparison, Peru is expected to produce around 400 000t.
Schutte said the rapid expansion of South Africa’s blueberry industry had begun to stabilise as producers recognised the importance of planting in regions that offered the best marketing window.
“Plantings in the north have picked up to the point where they now make up half of the hectares planted in South Africa. Since this crop is harvested earlier in the season, before Peru, it is a more favourable window to be in than the Western Cape,” she said.
Both Schutte and Balcomb said global demand for blueberries continued to grow, but South Africa would increasingly need to differentiate its fruit rather than compete on volume.
“Blueberries aren’t just blueberries. It’s about selecting the right variety according to flavour, freshness, and crispness. South Africa does well in this regard,” Schutte added.
Balcomb noted that growers hoping to capture premium export prices needed to plant suitable genetics in the right production regions and target marketing windows before Peru entered the market in October or after its peak volumes had passed in January and February.
“Returns on the local market remain under pressure, however, because of large volumes of fruit entering South Africa from Zimbabwe. But the local market is growing. Much growth is being aided by retailers like Woolworths and Checkers that market specific varieties that have a good flavour profile.
“Consumers are starting to differentiate between different blueberries, so they’re getting a better taste experience,” he added.
Expanding export opportunities
The local industry is working to reduce its reliance on the EU by securing access to additional export markets.
Schutte said negotiations on accessing the Chinese market were progressing, but approval for South African cherries needed to be completed before attention would turn to blueberries.
“We are in the process of doing the pest risk assessment [PRA], but it could take anywhere between one and five years to complete,” she said.
Access to India is more promising, especially since it is a market underserved by Peru, whereas China already receives top-quality blueberries from Peru.
“The import tariff has been negotiated down to 10%, from the standard 30% they have on fruit from South Africa, and the PRA has been signed off. But we are now being held up by a reciprocal deal in which India has requested to supply us with bananas and table grapes.
“Our government is in negotiations with them, so we are waiting to hear what the outcome is,” Schutte concluded.
