South African pome fruit crop to break records 

South Africa is set for a record pome fruit and table grape production in 2021/22, according to USDA estimates. Favourable weather conditions, new areas under production, and higher yielding cultivars are driving the growth in production. However, rising shipping costs, an upsurge in input costs, local port inefficiencies and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on established trading patterns are challenging South Africa’s exports of pome fruit and table grapes. As a result, profitability of the industry is under pressure, which could limit future investments.