Minister John Steenhuisen: Subtropical Marketing Symposium

Good morning to all delegates joining the symposium, and a warm greeting to our partners across the avocado, mango and litchi industries, and to every producer and exporter helping to keep South Africa’s subtropical fruit among the finest in the world.

I wish I could be there with you in Nelspruit, but I’m grateful that technology allows me to join you virtually and to speak about how we can strengthen our competitiveness together.

Keeping our markets and opening new ones

When I assumed office last year, I made a simple promise: that South African agriculture would compete not just on volume, but on value, and that we would measure our progress by the markets we hold and the new ones we open. Nowhere is this more relevant than in the subtropical sector.

Our avocado industry produces around 155 000 tons a year, with nearly half exported as fresh fruit. Of these exports, 75% go to the European Union and Russia, 22% to the United Kingdom, and a growing 3% to Africa and the Middle East. Markets such as India, China, and Japan currently account for less than 1% but hold enormous potential.

India presents a key opportunity, especially between May and August, when South African exporters can offer large-sized avocados during an off-season window for South America. Japan’s avocado consumption is also growing steadily, driven by health-conscious consumers who value sustainability and traceability — areas where South Africa is well-positioned but must strengthen coordination between government, industry, and logistics.

Our mango sector offers growth potential that directly benefits emerging farmers and rural employment in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal. Of the 81 700 tons produced annually, 7% is exported fresh, 31% sold locally, and 62% processed into juice, dried fruit, and achar. Almost all exports currently go to the Middle East, with limited access to the EU and UK. Expanding postharvest treatment capacity through public-private partnerships, possibly involving PPECB, Transnet, and private packhouses, could transform this picture.

Although our litchi sector is smaller — about 5 100 tons per year, with half exported — it remains one of our most promising subtropical exports due to strong early-season competitiveness and compliance with EU and US phytosanitary standards. Yet market expansion is often slowed by lengthy pest risk analysis (PRA) processes. Accelerating PRAs could unlock new high-value Asian and Middle Eastern markets.

In January next year, I will undertake a working tour of the Middle East to pursue market access for our subtropical fruit and leverage our Plant Health and Market Access Unit to fast-track PRAs.

We are globally competitive but not yet at full potential. Our future growth lies in diversification — reaching beyond traditional destinations into Asia and the Middle East, leveraging our agricultural attachés for virtual inspections, and advancing up the value chain through processing and branding.

This is why I’ve prioritised a market diversification strategy, from the first 21 tons of South African avocados landing in Shanghai last October, to Japan’s approval for Hass avocados, to ongoing tariff relief negotiations in the United States. Each milestone increases our resilience against global shocks.

Beyond subtropical fruits, our broader trade and market-access agenda continues to advance. Along with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, we have kept South Africa’s WTO dispute against the EU’s restrictive citrus measures active, defending our farmers against disguised protectionism.

Negotiations with the US aim to secure full access for all South African citrus regions, addressing long-standing restrictions linked to Citrus Black Spot. We have also secured access for table grapes to the Philippines, reopened the fresh-apple market in Thailand, and expanded exports across Southeast Asia, including Vietnam and ASEAN. A major breakthrough was the October 2025 protocol with China opening that market to five categories of stone fruit — creating new impetus for expanded litchi trade.

Biosecurity and border control

Our global reputation depends on the credibility of our biosecurity systems. Every interception or delay can close a border overnight and damage years of progress.

We have strengthened coordination with the Border Management Authority to ensure that all imported plant material meets phytosanitary protocols. Electronic traceability at ports is being upgraded, and inspectors now use digital tools for faster, more reliable verification.

A major breakthrough has been the National Biosecurity Hub, hosted at the University of Pretoria’s Innovation Africa Campus. This partnership between Government, science, and industry enhances surveillance, rapid diagnostics, and data sharing. It anchors an integrated biosecurity system linking pest and disease control to the Agricultural and Agro-processing Master Plan (AAMP).

The Hub’s internship programme brings new scientific talent into the system, building a workforce of young veterinarians, plant pathologists, and entomologists to safeguard our agricultural resilience.

Optimising market access through plant health

Market access rests on scientific credibility. We are strengthening our Directorate: Plant Health by building technical capacity from the ground up, recruiting young scientists, and partnering with the Biosecurity Hub to train and deploy them.

More than 45 research projects with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) feed data directly into our pest-status reports — the evidence base for every phytosanitary certificate we issue. Trust in our science equals trust in our exports.

The ARC and the Nelspruit Campus

The ARC’s Tropical and Subtropical Crops Campus in Nelspruit remains the scientific engine of this industry. Over the past three years, it has released four new mango varieties, five passionfruit varieties, and two citrus varieties tailored for export markets.

The campus is launching two key programmes:

• A large-scale propagation initiative to supply small-scale growers.
• A Postharvest and Agro-processing Hub to drive innovation, reduce waste, and add local value.

These are aligned with the Agricultural and Agro-processing Master Plan and demonstrate the power of science–farmer collaboration.

Act 36 and the registration of agricultural remedies

No farmer can meet export standards without access to safe, effective inputs. That is why we modernised the Registrar’s Office under the Fertilisers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act (Act 36 of 1947).

In October 2025, we launched the Online Application System for Agricultural Inputs Control — a digital reform that brings transparency and efficiency to how inputs are regulated. This platform allows applicants to submit and track their applications online, receive instant feedback, and benefit from faster approvals when requirements are fully met.

This digitisation eliminates bottlenecks, enhances compliance, and builds confidence between Government and the agricultural-inputs industry.

Conclusion

Friends, the story of our subtropical industries is one of steady growth, scientific excellence, and extraordinary resilience. But as global competition intensifies, we must respond with renewed innovation, unity, and vision.

Our future competitiveness rests on three foundations:

• Expanding and defending our markets;
• Safeguarding our biosecurity; and
• Investing in science and skills.

If we do these things together, there is no reason why South Africa’s avocados, mangoes, and litchis should not dominate premium shelves — from Tokyo to Toronto, and from Dubai to Denmark.

Thank you for allowing me to share this message with you today. I wish you a productive and forward-looking symposium.

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