South Africa's pomegranate industry looks set to reach new heights in the coming years as the country's young trees become more productive and demand follows an upward trend. 

Exports increased by around 40% during 2014, and a representative of the Pomegranate Producers Association of South Africa (POMASA) said he did not expect this growth to subside any time soon.

"We're a young industry and as the trees mature they produce considerably more fruit," chairman Jack Wittles told www.freshfruitportal.com.

"Pomegranates reach full production in about their eighth year, so we're in the phase where we're gong to see considerable increase each season."

Wittles estimated around three-quarters of the country's 800 hectares of production land are located in the Western Cape, with the majority of the remainder spread out in the Northern and Eastern Capes and Mpumalanga.

While South Africa is currently able to enjoy a unique commercial window in the Southern Hemisphere for a few weeks with some early varieties such as Acco and Herskovitz, Wittles said the opportunity was only temporary as South American producers had now planted 'at least one' of the early cultivars as well.

A positive, however, for the industry, is the growing demand for the exotic fruit both at home and abroad, and the possibility of opening up the U.S. market in the future.

"Foreign demand seems to be growing and/or there is an awareness of the South African production which is leading to more demand, and here in South Africa the demand is growing, not as quickly as I would like to see it grow but it is definitely growing consistently," he said.

"We also deliver at the moment to a fairly wide range of markets. There are a few markets that we don't have access to; specifically the U.S.

"We deliver to certain Far Eastern markets, Middle Eastern markets, European markets - the Russian market has been important for us when it's been available, at the moment it isn't - and the U.K. market."

South Africa at present does not have access to the Chinese market.

POMASA has also recently taken a formal decision to apply for a statutory levy to fund the work of the association, research and registration of chemicals for use on the fruit.

"There will be a voluntary levy, producers have voted to have a voluntary levy for this 2015 season, we hope to have a statutory levy in place for the 2015 season," Wittles said.

This year's pomegranate season is expected to begin earlier than normal in the first or second week of February, following a similar trend with many other fruit crops in the country such as table grapes and stonefruit.

Around 12,000 metric tons (MT) are expected to be produced during 2015.

Photo: www.shutterstock.com

www.freshfruitportal.com