Agri SA facilitates meeting with banana industry

[{“type”:”text”,”content”:”The flooding of bananas does not only destabilise South African growers and their businesses. It also impedes growth opportunities, undermines efforts to establish black emerging farmers, threatens the job security of thousands of workers, creates barriers to entry for new emerging farmers, poses phytosanitary risks to the industry, and threatens the livelihoods of South African communities depending on banana production. Mpumalanga (Onderberg and Kiepersol), Limpopo (Levubu and Letaba) and both the North and South Coasts of KwaZulu-Natal are particularly vulnerable.nnDuring the 2018/19 marketing season, the banana industry contributed 55% (R2,3 billion) to the total gross value of subtropical fruits (R4,2 billion) produced in South Africa. As a result, bananas are the most important subtropical fruit grown in the country.nnBanana farms primarily employ full-time labourers on banana farms for several specialist tasks like controlling pests and diseases. Other tasks include harvesting, supervision, operational duties in the pack houses, irrigation management, and driving tractors or forklifts. Seasonal labour is employed on a contractual basis for a fixed period for harvesting or fruit packing. Estimates indicate that in 2011, direct employment within the banana industry was 27 033 people, with 108 131 dependents.nnThe banana industry makes an important contribution to direct employment in banana production and processing. It provides indirect employment for numerous support industries in the areas where bananas are grown and nationally.nnNearly all bananas produced in South Africa are for local fresh consumption and processing. Annually, the greatest share of the banana crop goes to the local markets for fresh consumption. The National Fresh Produce Markets (NFPMs) absorbed 60% (249 528 tons) of the total crops (416 457 tons) produced in South Africa during the 2018/19 marketing season. The processing market absorbs approximately 40% in the same season for direct sales and value-adding. Exports volumes are insignificant and accounted for 5% of the total production in 2018/19.nnLocally, bananas are distributed through different marketing channels, with sales facilitated by market agents after they have engaged with the farmers, informal traders (street hawkers), and directly from farmers to retailers and processors. Bananas are the largest contributor to sales in the major NFPMs among all the fruits.”,”position”:0,”id”:”Dlr1KXWFJxO7AfI3″}]