SRCC becomes more Mediterranean

Leading grower, packer and exporter of South African citrus SRCC (Sundays River Citrus Company) is seeking to consolidate itself in Europe and expand to new markets. Speaking at the firm’s stand at Fruit Attraction in Madrid, managing director, Hannes de Waal, said,

“A few years ago, we established a ten-year plan to grow our customer base and we decided to become more Mediterranean. Spain has a great food culture and we have a lot to learn here. There are also a lot of opportunities as Spain’s excellent service providers allow us to work well.”

Indeed, there is a window of between ten and twenty weeks during which Spain imports citrus from the Southern Hemisphere, and this provides SRCC with a great opportunity.

“We have produced 9 million cartons this year and aim to raise this level to 12 million. With the stronger competition and our larger volumes, we need new markets, which is why we have now opened a new sales office in St Petersburg in Russia. Our many chemical-free products appeal especially to the northern European markets.”

To cope with this increased production, the firm has recently opened a new storage facility with double the previous capacity.

Founded in 1924 in the renowned Sundays River Valley, SRCC has grown into the largest grower, packer and exporter of quality South African citrus and one of the biggest growers of clemenules in the world. Owned by its 100 citrus growers, the firm hires 300 permanent workers and 40,000 during the season. SRCC packs for its own growers and directly markets its products to customers under its brands: Sundays, Ada, Kirkwood.