In the Middle East, South African apples have been sold at much higher prices due to the demand, coupled with no competition. "If you take 2025, NH apple volumes in the markets were at a very low level as South Africa entered the markets," says a South African exporter of topfruit and citrus to the Near and Far East who requests anonymity.
In the usual scheme of things the Middle East is an early export market for South African citrus, often occupying the some space as the last of the Northern hemisphere's fruit. The industry has almost come to expect that the market would receive an oversupply and that prices would consequently crash.
So far, 2025 is set to follow a different trajectory.
"Middle East countries have been relatively empty of fruit from the Northern hemisphere as the Southern hemisphere growers start with their new season fruit. This kind of situation means immediate sales, zero storage costs, faster payments, and faster collection," he explains.
"Record prices have been achieved in 2025 for apples, pears, and lemons. A similar situation is expected with South African citrus this year. The markets are empty of Northern Hemisphere citrus fruits as a whole."
It's not only South Africa that has been benefiting from the short supply. He adds that Chile has also shipped a reasonable volume of apples to markets in the Middle East.
All major regions like the EU, China, South east Asia and North America are also short of citrus fruit with the result, he notes, that the crop is immediately sold, and nothing is going to cold storage, a significant saving in costs to the farmer.
The whole of the South African citrus industry has not yet commenced its harvest, while others were held back by late rain, and still others report an early start to the season. "If you look at the current SA citrus stats, lemons and oranges are up in volumes shipped, and soft citrus is down by 30+%. But you cannot view the current stats and make a call. Oranges, for example, have just started, but not all areas are packing yet. One will have to wait till week 25/26 to get a good feel on oranges," the exporter says.
"In reply to the question: could this be a year in which the citrus market in the Middle East doesn't crash? Yes, this could definitely be 'that year, '" he says.
"Only the South Africans themselves can mess that up, in other words, if they dump the Middle Eastern markets with excessive volumes or poor quality. However, we do not expect this to happen as all the world markets are shouting for South African citrus this year."