Can Blueberry help South Africa in augmenting exports and that way creating employment opportunities in the country?The South African Berry Producers Association dishes out statistics to prove its point that South Africa can achieve that feat.It estimates that the industry would register a growth of 45% in 2019, as compared to the year ago. This will be an impressive growth trend and a force multiplier in adding more jobs. According to the association, the industry will produce about 17000 metric tons of blueberries in 2019, compared to the 11700 metric tons produced the year before. Of late, the blueberry industry has been registering impressive growth and that has raised the expectation of the government that this sector, which did not get much attention in the previous years has the potential to increase the exports and create jobs. South Africa’s blueberry exports in 2014 was just 1558 metric tons.On an average, industry exports around 70% of itd produce. In 2019, exports was a whopping 14000metric tons accounting for an average annual growth rate of close to 160% and almost 800% over the last five years. Significantly, there is some forecast of blueberry production topping 50000 metric tons within the next five years. The growth of this magnitude would push South Africa to the league of the Netherlands and the USA as the world’s largest exporters of blueberry.Blueberry is expected to be cultivated in 4800 hectares in the country by 2023. Taking a cue from the recent quantum jumps in the blueberry production in the country, South Africa is scouting for more export markets. It is trying to export to China where it has no footprint where presently it has no footprint. China mostly sources its blueberries from the US and the Netherlands. The US-China trade war may be the right time for South Africa to enter the Chinese blueberry market.
