Key figures from the South African raisin industry have visited UK
suppliers to develop trading relationships and explain the benefits
of the dried fruit.
The trip in May saw industry body Raisins South Africa visit four of
the leading UK dried fruit suppliers, highlighting the quality and low
residue credentials of the country’s products and exploring
opportunities to grow the market further.
“The experience was incredibly valuable,” said Ferdie Botha, chief
executive of Raisins South Africa. “It’s been a while since we’ve
caught up with UK suppliers because of the pandemic, so meeting
face to face was an excellent opportunity to gain an understanding
of the current UK dried fruit market and establish areas where we
can offer support.”
Suppliers rate premium South African raisins highly for their clean
and excellent quality, with the country a global leader in reducing
residue levels. The hot, dry climate of the Orange and Olifants River
regions means disease and pest pressure is lower, and thanks to
good biological practices and control, fewer chemicals are needed.
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UK trade visit highlights benefits
of SA raisins
South African raisins are natural and sundried, with growers having
invested in farming techniques and developed corporate strategies
aimed at protecting the environment, public health and local
communities.
The UK visit comes amid a challenging production season in which
crop losses of 20% were experienced due to flooding and aboveaverage
rainfall. Despite that, the total marketable volume for the
season is estimated at 67,000 metric tonnes, which is slightly above
last year’s figure. South Africa is furthermore a source of prized
golden raisins, which are difficult to obtain from other sources.
The plentiful export volumes will allow Raisins South Africa to fully
pursue its UK promotional campaign, which focuses on trade and
B2B, with activity centred around the newly rebranded SA Sultana
variety. Trade PR and advertising will also feature, alongside
LinkedIn content creation and management and a range of social
media activity.
Trade buyers and press from the UK and Germany will also be taken
to the Northern Cape in November to showcase the work of the
industry and continue to build long-term relationships.
The promotional work and trade visits are helping change
misconceptions around dried fruit in general, according to Botha.
“Dried fruit has received a lot of negative media,” he explained.
“We’ve come a long way over the past two to three years to work
on changing this perception and communicate the benefits of our
product category. Behind the scenes we are working with various
origins to showcase the benefits associated with the consumption of
dried fruit."