Due to the Coronavirus pandemic only 60,000 pilgrims will be allowed to perform Hajj and Umrah this year in Saudi Arabia.  Registration was only open to citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia. Hajj Pilgrims should be fully vaccinated. Hajj is in 3 weeks (17 July – 22 July) and normally over this period there is a high demand and increase in sales for all commodities as the market prepares for millions of Umrah Pilgrims into the country. 

Market sales in the GCC countries remain slow and with low demand for most commodities with the exception of apples and Kiwi fruit having high demand and reaching high price levels. The low demand will continue in Saudi Arabia due to the limited number of pilgrims allowed to perform Hajj and restricted to citizens/residents of Saudi only and excluding all foreign visitors.

• Citrus
• Pome
• Grape, Stone & Kiwi Fruit
• India & Bangladesh
• PPECB Statistics

Citrus – South Africa

Colour development was very good, due to the season start being delayed. Current Valencia varieties being packed include Turkey, Midknight and Bennies.

Cambria Late Navel oranges seem to be peaking on bigger sizes (count 48/56/64). The Eastern and Western areas will only start picking/packing Cambria in week 30, but they have started packing other late navels varieties like Autumn Gold.

South Africa’s soft citrus focus group last week again slightly dropped its soft citrus export estimate, by 300,000 cartons to a current estimate of 29.2 million 15kg equivalent cartons, mostly due to smaller sizing. The estimated adjustment at the moment reflects on the Clementine and Nova harvests; there has been no change in the late mandarin forecast at this stage. The Northern areas have started picking and packing Nadorcott.

South Africa will start exporting lemons to China after the signing of a revised Phytosanitary protocol between the two countries.  With the continued growth in lemon volumes, South Africa expects to export 25,000 metric tons of lemons to China by 2024.

Shipped YTD from South Africa

Lemons to the Middle East – a decrease of 20% on cumulative volumes shipped to date compared to the 2020 season.

Grapefruit to the Middle East – an increase of 12% on cumulative volumes shipped to date compared to the 2020 season. 

Soft Citrus to the Middle East – an increase of 33% on cumulative volumes shipped to date compared to the 2020 season.

Oranges to the Middle East – an increase of 14% on cumulative volumes shipped to date compared to the 2020 season.

Market update: Due to the high volume of Egyptian valencias in the market and at low price levels, the GCC countries will only start taking valencias from South Africa at the beginning of July (limited volume) and will start increasing volumes from Mid-July due to Egypt still packing until the end of June.

There is speculation that Egyptian valencias might be in the market until mid-August due to the high volumes of valencias currently being stored in Egypt and the Middle East market but this is still to be confirmed.

Stone fruit

The situation on plums has not changed in the GCC countries with continued market pressure and a decline in price levels.

Kiwi fruit

Kiwi fruit volumes shipped from Chile to the Middle East remain low at 28% less on cumulative volumes shipped to date compared to the 2020 season.

Continued high demand and high price levels for kiwi fruit in the GCC countries and around the Globe. The increase is due to the high vitamin C levels found in Kiwi fruit and increased consumption amid the Covid 19 pandemic, low volumes in the Northern Hemisphere (the USA, Italy, Greece and France) compared to previous seasons, low volumes in Chile as well as delays in the Chilean season. These are all factors contributing to the high demand/high price levels for Kiwi fruit.

India

Less cases of Covid are been reported daily and therefore more fruit markets are opening as well as more freedom in movement for people. Citrus is still in the doldrums and importers are losing. Pears sales are starting to tick up. Plums and grapes still struggling. Apples doing well. Domestic apples to start in a couple of weeks’ time.

Bangladesh

Heavy rains at the beginning of the past week had a dampened market activity, however things seem to be looking up with some marginal improvement on apple and orange pricing at the onset of the weekend.

Mandarins, on the other hand, are not as lucky and hold the “underachiever” status in the market currently.

There will be a short window of non-supply of Chinese apples until the season starts again at the end of July.

No respite has been given on the duty increase on oranges, the higher charges are here to stay.

Yet another shipping line has temporarily suspended their service offering from South Africa to Bangladesh to clear their congestion at transshipment ports, thereby further reducing the number of carriers on this route.