By Summer Citrus from South Africa
CITRUSDAL, South Africa — Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) is finishing the season strong with the two final scheduled vessels set to arrive with Navels and Easy Peelers as well as the first shipment of the popular Midknight variety into the United States. The last conventional vessel will arrive to the Port of Philadelphia the week of October 9th.
With sophisticated logistics services and consolidated resources, SCSA has been able to maintain steady movement of fruit throughout the season. SCSA continues to provide the freshest and sweetest citrus varieties with their Midknight crop arriving at its peak of season with the last harvest of Navels and Easy Peelers entering the US with these final two vessels.
“We have established a unique collaboration with incredible logistics partners who are equally committed to meeting USDA requirements. Without dependability and service excellence from Seatrade who provides our dedicated cargo vessels as well as FPT Group who manages our Capetown loading facility, we would not be able to execute such a consistently strong program all season long,” said Suhanra Conradie, CEO of Summer Citrus from South Africa. “In addition, we are fortunate to work closely with the government bodies involved in the pre-clearance process for our fruit, including USDA/APHIS, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, as well as the Perishable Product Export Control Board. All of these groups play a significant role in maintaining a well-managed and successful program year after year.”
“2017 has been another exciting growth year for the summer citrus category and we’ve been pleased that our group has been able to increase our support of US retail partners,” Conradie added. “I’ve enjoyed the 17th season and hope to replicate for years to come!”
About Summer Citrus from South Africa
Summer Citrus from South Africa represents the group of South African citrus growers who consolidate their logistics, marketing and sales efforts to bring the finest citrus fruit to market during the U.S. summer season. Established in 1999 and re-branded for expanded marketing efforts in 2016, the group provides Navels, Midknights, East Peelers, Star Ruby Grapefruit and Cara-Cara oranges across the globe.