South African Citrus Exporters Step Up Their Push Into India

South Africa has widened its citrus route into India after nearly a decade of negotiations, opening more flexibility for growers targeting a market of about 1.47 billion people.

India approved additional fruit-fly cold-treatment options for fresh South African citrus on 18 August. The Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa and the Department of Agriculture said the new protocols should improve fruit quality and give exporters more choice in how they move shipments.

South Africa already sells citrus to India, but the trade has accelerated. Export volumes rose 85% in 2025, with shipments climbing from just under 4,000 pallets in 2016 to about 54,000 last year. South Africa’s counterseasonal production allows growers to supply fruit when Indian domestic production is lower.

Tariffs still weigh on the opportunity. South African citrus faces Most-Favoured-Nation duties of about 25% to 30% in India, leaving exporters at a disadvantage to southern hemisphere competitors with preferential trade agreements. At the same time, newer citrus industries in Zimbabwe and Botswana are expanding production, processing and export capacity.

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Citrus remains South Africa’s leading agricultural export, accounting for 17% of SA’s US$15.1-billion in agricultural exports in 2025.

The search for wider markets comes as South Africa approaches a difficult 2026 export season. The growers’ association cut its forecast to 197.9 million 15-kilogram cartons, from an initial 209.4 million. The revised estimate includes 58 million cartons of Valencia oranges and 24.3 million cartons of Navels, down about 8% and 19% from the original projections.

The association blamed some of the pressure on conflict in the Middle East, which has disrupted routes carrying South African fruit. The disruption has also reduced empty-container availability, increased port congestion and raised shipping and logistics costs.

“Citrus remains South Africa’s leading agricultural export, accounting for 17% of SA’s US$15.1-billion in agricultural exports in 2025,” said Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa. The sector employs more than 100,000 people, he said, while future growth will depend on wider export markets and improvements to ports and roads. South Africa exported about 2.9 million tons of citrus in 2025, overtaking Spain as the world’s largest exporter by volume. But Sihlobo warned that established markets could not be assumed to last: “We can’t take this for granted; we need to”

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We can’t take this for granted; we need to